The Devils Reaper
by Derain von Harken
Summary: If having Geass sped up Lelouchs schedule considerably what was it? An alternate war fic where Lelouch began his scheming from the moment he made his oath. So that by the time he meets C.C he has a lot more resources and a lot more help than it appears. Not to mention one extremely ruthless henchman who dresses up as (and acts like) a horseman of the apocalypse. Death.
1. Chapter 1

A Code Geass fanfiction

Disclaimer I do not own Code Geass or any of its variants in Manga or Anime. This is written for my own amusement and I receive no compensation for it whatsoever.

The Devils Reaper

Prologue

Japanese coast 2010 A.T.B

Two young boys stood by a ruined roadway as the body of Japans Prime Minister burnt on a pyre. One the son of Genbu Kururugi his face a blank mask of desolation. The other The son of Brittania's emperor his eyes burning with anger as he spoke "I swear to you suzaku one day I will obliterate Brittania". The other turned to regard his friend and widened at the tall gaunt figure standing behind him unnoticed. The others face was hidden in shadow as a thick cloth was wrapped over his features and his head covered by a hood. But his shape was wrong. Then both boys realized he was missing his left arm.

The figure ignored them moving closer to the fire until he knelt. The heat from the flames would be unbearable but the figure did nothing but kneel and finger a silver cross dangling from his hand. He whispered prayers in the faint Deutsch of a south African. They barely covered the sound of his weeping. When his prayers were done he turned stood and went over towards lelouch ignoring suzaku. He towered over him his cold blue eyes piercing into the young princes violet gaze. Then he turned to another soldier with blue tinged hair who'd come with him and nodded.

Later Lelouch sat in the back of a vehicle with Nunnally he gently stroked her hair as she lay sleeping. He watched Suzaku standing by the fire as the vehicle drove away. He turned his gaze to the front and realized that the one armed man was there in the front passenger seat. He was looking right at him. Then he spoke quietly in English.

"Lelouch Vi Brittania I have watched you, while you have been in this country. I have witnessed your anger your disgust of what brittania has become and it has done. But more I've watched your mind I've seen how you think. Do you truly mean to destroy Brittania no matter how far or how dark that road will be?"

There was no hesitation "Yes."

"Then you will need an executioner." The man turned his head to the driver and spoke again in Japanese to pull over. The soldier obeyed. Then the man's right hand flew out and jabbed a needle into the back of the driver's neck. At the same time the other trooper in the middle seat incapacitated the one next to him. Lelouch watched as the two soldiers were tied up and placed by the roadside. The blue haired soldier took the drivers seat. The one armed man looked back at him "Do not fear little prince you are in the company of dead men now."

And I beheld a pale horse and upon it sat death and hell followed after him.

Revelations

Chapter 1

Area 11 2017 A.T.B

The nobleman smirked as his opponent sweated. "Unless your second arrives in the next five minutes I'm afraid the game will have to continue."

The balding elderly gentleman wiped his brow and then turned as the door opened and a pair of figures walked in. The first was a teenage youth wearing a school uniform thin with black hair a chiseled face, and a pair of brilliant violet eyes. He looked around the room as if the very air bored him. Behind him and holding the door open stood a giant of a man. Easily a foot taller his shoulders seemed to fill the doorway he wore a business suit which failed to conceal the swell of muscles under his shirt. An astute observer would have noticed how his arctic blue eyes were constantly scanning the room or how he moved with a casual grace that belied his large frame. His face was stern with a square jaw and long shoulder length black hair tied back in a ponytail. His skin was Caucasian but the shape of his eyes hinted at an asian parent. He positioned himself behind the boy and continued to allow his eyes to scan the room with his arms crossed.

"You made it." The elderly man exclaimed in a voice of gratitude.

"Our apologies there was traffic. Luthur when would we need to leave in order to make my next class?"

"About ten minutes Lelouch. Hmm" His eyes paused on the board. "Based on the state of play I'd calculate four and a half minutes."

The nobleman scoffed. "My opponent is to be a child?"

Lelouch studied the board "We'll be done in four." And he moved the black king.

Three minutes and twenty two seconds later they left the room with eight thousand dollars in a case and a stunned looking nobleman gazing at the chess board.

Lelouch allowed himself a smile. "Always so conservative big brother."

The giant grinned back "One of us has to be."

Lelouch sat in the sidecar of the motorcycle as Luther pulled them onto the raised motorway. Luther spoke as they turned a corner. "You know I can't decide whether your lack of excitement in chess stems from the quality of opponents or the fact that we aren't using your winnings as our primary source of funds anymore."

Lelouch turned. "Actually I think it's the uncertainty of whether they'll pay. Noblemen are so full of pride they can't imagine not paying their debts. I still remember when it was unclear whether we'd get either our money or our lives at the end."

Luther grinned "They always paid eventually. Although you didn't use to lead with the king as often as you do now."

"If the king does not lead."

"His subordinates will not follow. Though I wonder if you're letting impatience affect your chess playing."

Lelouch allowed himself a brief grin "You know me better then that."

"Even you can allow emotion to affect your actions. At least you confine such instances to games of wait…

He frowned as the minicomputer attached to his radio beeped an alert through the helmets earpiece. "Well it appears there has been a terrorist attack on a nearby office building."

Lelouch turned his gaze towards him "Do we have commercial agents in the area."

Translation were they one of ours?

Luther shook his head. "None that I know of although there could be several clients operating here. Whether they are listed well?"

Translation. Not any authorized. Could be one of the groups we supply. Or not.

"Oh wait it seems that our beloved viceroy is moaning about his internal organs leaving his chest in sadness. He wishes us to observe a moment of silence."

Lelouch snorted "Of course because a full minute of silence is just wasteful." His face turned cold "Mourning the dead changes nothing."

"Well while we're doing that could someone with free hands and a laptop possibly find out if I'm driving us in the direction of a terrorist incident?"

Lelouch pulled out his laptop and attached what appeared to be a perfectly ordinary usb disk to the side. "Okay lets see what's on the local police network." He turned his head to see a large truck bearing right down on them. "Luthur move"

The truck skidded to avoid hitting them and headed along the downramp.

They both started when they saw the truck crash into the section of highway below them.

Luthur turned the cycle around and stopped. Dozens of people were taking photos of the crash with their phones and saying someone should call the police. Luthur snorted with amused contempt and drove the vehicle down towards the crash.

Luthur pushed some wreckage aside and they both clambered up the ladder.

"Hello is anyone in there. We want to…" The vehicle lurched Luthur lost his footing hit Lelouch and the pair of them tumbled into the back of the van.

"Ouch" Lelouch stiffened his back as he crawled off the form of his adopted brother slash bodyguard. "That was uncomfortable"

"Yes it was." Luthur grimaced as he pushed himself up. Steadying his hand as the vehicle accelerated. Luthur cocked his head at a series of sharp sounds penetrated through the walls of the truck. "Live rounds. Get back." He grabbed Lelouch and pulled him into the shadows as the cockpit door opened. As Lelouch was silent he watched as a young red haired woman moved towards a shrouded piece of machinery at the back.

"Can you enter the subway using the asabou route?" she called back to the driver if she turned her head they were caught.

"Kallen why don't we use it here." Her head turned but not enough to see them. "Because that would be a bloodbath." She climbed into the cockpit of the knightmare.

His professional gaze took note of her grace, the muscles in her frame and for a while the curved contours of her rear in that costume. He allowed himself a smile.

Lelouch whispered to him "I've seen her before."

Luthur turned back "Hmm I don't recognize her from my files."

Lelouch narrowed his eyes "School I saw her at school."

Luthur raised his eyebrow slightly before the sound of hydraulics echoed through the truck. The back door of the vehicle opened and as the tarp pulled back they saw her launch a knightmare. "Deploying knightmare from moving civilian vehicle. Clever should make a note of that."

The queen.

Behind the truck the helicopters guns levered to aim at it. However a large blade like object on a thin wire lashed out from a slit in the back of the truck. It smashed through the lead copter cockpit slicing the pilot in two before the return traction yanked the craft out of the sky.

"A A slash harken?" One of the surviving pilots gasped as a red machine emerged from the back of the truck its factsphere opening before its metal hatches closed. The knightmare launched itself onto the asphalt its landspinners cycling in reverse as it swerved to fire again.

"Shit it's a knightmare. The second pilot cried as he tried to maneuver out of his enemies line of sight.

'You know how powerful this thing is right." Swerving the modified Glasgow around the shots the aircraft fired in panic before cutting both copters down with another shot of her harkens.

"You pull back. Let me handle this." A commanding voice issued over the pilot's com as a Knightmare VTOL carrier came up behind them the pilot disengaging from his remote craft and dropping an RPI-13 Sutherland onto the roadway. As it swung from a single slash harken Kallen launched her own only to watch as it was parried by the Sutherlands free harken.

"I don't know where you picked up that old wreck but no Glasgow will ever defeat a Sutherland." Kallen dodged right to avoid the Brittanians rifle fire. "Especially not when piloted by some damned eleven." As the fight continued another knightmare leapt up in front of the truck and the driver immediately pulled left.

The Devil and the Reaper

Lelouch was about to reply when the vehicle lurched again and he felt his hand brush against the strange metal sphere they were hiding behind. He started as he heard the whisper of a woman's voice. _At last you are the one the one I have been .._ He turned back "Luthur" then they both fell as the vehicle exacted a sharp turn.

The ambient light coming in through the roof vanished beneath the ceiling of a tunnel.

Lelouch tapped at his phone while Luthur carefully adjusted a number of small innocuous looking objects on the inside of his jacket revealing the concealed pistol in its holster.

"No reception on the mobile we're out of range. Judging by the light and surface we're travelling along the old subway lines. They're heading for an exit somewhere in the ghetto.

Luthur listened to the engine. "This is a Gaur 27 medium hauler going from where we entered there are only three exits in Shinjuku he could use for a vehicle this size. At current speed he should be approaching the first one in seven minutes. He'll have to slow down for the turnoff"

Around the area of Shinjuku a military blockade was dropping tanks and knightmares blocking all access points. Infantry moved in building by building and transport choppers dropped troops onto rooftops. One heading into the central area contained the group of honorary brittanians. Despised by those they served they were often used as expendable assets. Such as right now. The commander of the royal guard spoke over the radio to his 'valued' troops. "The terrorists have seized a chemical weapon move in and secure the area. You may be honorary britanians now but you were once elevens therefore the monkey stench of this place should be familiar to you. Succeed in this mission if you want to keep the right to bear arms."

"Yes Sir."

"Uhh Lelouch. I am afraid we are not slowing down or turning."

With the driver losing conciousness the truck slammed into a break in the surface.

They both clambered to their feet and ran their hands over the container as the side door to the compartment opened. Lelouch looked to the side in time to see a rapidly spinning leg aiming for his head. It never connected. Luthur pushed Lelouch aside and like a dancer moved himself so that the kick aiming for Lelouch instead met both his hands. Rather then stop the attack Luthur flowed with it gripping the leg and spinning with its momentum to swing the attacker around and into the wall of the truck. Only for the attacker to bounce off find his feet and attack again with a sharp blow to the solar plexus. Luthur countered again pushing himself back. His arm seemed to flex unnaturally and suddenly a curved black kukri knife flew out the sleeve of his jacket which he swung at his enemies head. Only for the attacker to lean back in turn so instead of being decapitated the visor was caught by the edge of the blade and the helmet wrenched off the soldiers head. It didn't stop the man from talking. "Chemical weapons are you insane?" But it yanked him far enough to the side that Luthur side stepped pushed his head down and then kneed him straight in the guts. But even as he fell the soldier flung a kick towards Luthur's knee which bounced off like he'd hit a tree.

As Luthur prepared to fall on this foe with his blade the soldier pulled his pistol and they were just half a second from ventilating each other when the soldier gasped out "Lelouch?"

Both of them gasped as the strangers face was revealed. "Suzaku."

But before anyone could express amazement the clamps on the pod began to crack.

Luthur turned in horror as his mind calculated. _Depending on compression could reasonably fill the tunnel for seventy to hundred meters. If it is an inhalant then._ Suzaku leapt up grabbed Lelouch and forced his helmet gas mask onto his face. Before Luthur picked them both up and flung them out of the van. Gripping the door to close himself in with the toxins. Lelouch turned back to Luthur. "No"

Luthur slammed the door. Lelouch looked back his face contorting waiting for the explosion of poisons to shake the vehicle but nothing happened. The door opened and there stood Luthur carrying a woman slung over his shoulder. "Either the weapon is hallucinogenic or I am carrying a green haired woman in a straight jacket."

A few minutes later and the three of them were untying the lady from her straightjacket.

"So you joined the Brittanian army." Lelouch spoke softly as he unclasped the girls pants legs.

Luthur's face was expressionless as he unhooked her wrists. "Your family must be so proud."

Suzaku's face went cold. "They're not and who are you anyway?"

"I'm his older brother." Suzaku seemed to start at that.

Lelouch removed the mask from the girls face. "So the army sent you to find the container."

"Yes but they didn't say anything about this."

"I must admit this whole situation is extremely odd."

Luthur's eyes narrowed "Did you alert your superiors that you'd found the truck."

Suzaku looked up. "Well of course I did."

"You idiot." Luthur turned his gaze down the tunnel as several flashlights struck them.

"What are you doing touching what even genuine Britanians should not hold." A detachment of the royal guard stood at the end their weapons leveled at them. With their leader smirking.

Suzaku got up and ran over leaving the Lamplerouge brothers.

"Sir I don't understand they told us."

"Shut up monkey the only way to redeem yourself from this is to kill the terrorists."

"But sir they are not terrorists just civilians who got mixed up in all this."

"Are you questioning me. Did you not swear an oath to Brittania. Open fire this instant." The guardsman thrusting a pistol at Suzaku.

"I know that but I won't do it."

"What?"

Suzaku turned back towards the brothers and Luthur in the midst of calculating the moves necessary to take out the soldiers on the left saw Suzaku's face. It was strangely happy.

"I can't carry out your orders sir." Then the pistol barked and the close range shot penetrated Suzaku's armor and flung him to the ground.

"Now then." The commander never finished his words because then a flashbang grenade went off right in front of them. Followed by the wet pulpy sounds of three of his soldiers heads being shot in quick succession. The commander flung himself down "Return fire return." Before the explosion of the truck silenced him again.

When their eyes recovered they could see a blasted mess of the vehicle. Three of his men were down with half their heads blasted away. Another was slowly suffocating in his own blood as the shots to his jugular gushed crimson liquid. The fifth who had for some reason stumbled towards the blast zone was holding the bleeding stump of his left forearm.

The reaper.

Luthur carried the Brittanians assault rifle in his arms as Lelouch lifted the girl. They were moving along the tunnel with Luthur taking point. Luthur in particular looked much the worse for wear his jacket and shirt was gone. A torn and tattered armor vest covered his chest and back. His hair was completely burnt off. Half his face was a bloodied mess but both eyes still worked. The skin of his left arm and shoulder were torn away. Revealing the black bundles of synthetic muscles. The kukri had been slid back into its compartment in his arm. Even so there was still human blood seeping from several smaller cuts along his body. It was that which prompted him to speak.

"Any discomfort?"

"Minimal my lord. My armor prevented any major damage to my internal organs. My arteries are untouched. All I need are the body's natural painkillers to see me through this one." However comfortable the 'brothers' were with each other in public or private When in the field Luthur always returned to strict military courtesy in which Lelouch was the senior officer. Lelouch grinned Luthur's definition of minimal discomfort was one that would have most people crying.

They passed under a vent through which a faint shaft of light passed from above. Luthur held up his right hand in a signal to stop and cocked his head. Silence reigned for ten seconds. "What do you hear?"

"Gunfire above us. Ahead. Behind. Everywhere. Women screaming." His shoulders tensed. "Children." He drew in a breath. "We must keep moving."

After twenty minutes of movement they approached the exit. Luthur took the lead heading up the stairway he paused and opening one of his pockets he extracted a 20 cm flexible cable with a small camera on the end. He raised it above the level of the stairs. It was the same group of soldiers looking somewhat the worse for wear standing before a pile of corpses, all Japanese. He lowered it and then extended his right hand with his middle finger grasped by his thumb. Enemies_. _Then he gestured with his thumb back the way they'd come. Head back_._ All four fingers together made a wavey motion. Slowly. They began inching down the stairs as the enemy commander talked.

"Are you sure the exit came out here?"

"Y-yes sir. It matches with up with the old city maps perfectly."

"Feh. They must have-" At that moment Lelouch's phone rang.

The crush

In the ladies change rooms of Ashford academy an orange haired girl blinked in annoyance at her cell phone. "Damn that lulu he hung up on me."

The Devil and the Reaper

Lelouch was flung up against the wall while beside him Luthur lay seemingly dead. One of the soldiers had fired a blast that had struck his head. Followed up by multiple shots to the torso. His chest armor had fallen off completely. His left cybernetic arm was also severely damaged barely twitching. His right dangled shattered, barely held together by its mixture of muscle tissue and thin black cables. Blood stained the wall behind him. He did not breathe his eyes half closed.

The room was covered in blood only four of the royal guard remained their commander nursing a sharp cut to his side. The others had all been felled by Luthur's attack as he'd tried to cover Lelouchs retreat. If only one of the guardsman had not been carrying a light machine gun.

The commander no longer smirking scowled as two of his men held the green haired woman. I should commend you for making it this far. But you are Brittanians so I shouldn't be surprised." His smile was vindictive. "You've cost me some good men. Either way your lives are forfeit." The royal guard lifted their weapons.

"No he must not die." The witch broke free and leapt between the men as bullets pierced her body.

She fell her hand coming to rest on Luther's cybernetic one.

"Well that was unfortunate. I'd have liked to take her alive." Lelouch reached for the hand as the commander prattled on. _Is this how it all ends all our plans only to die here not accomplishing anything? Nunnally._ A vision of his sister came to his mind. He touched her hand and it grasped his.

Both men were flung into a mental storm.

_Hmm interesting I've never connected with two men at the same time before._

_What is this?_

**What the hell?**

_It seems you have reason to live. _

_That girl impossible she was shot in the head_

**So was I if you hadn't noticed.**

_If you had the strength you could live. This is my contract made between us three: In return for my gifts of power you must grant one wish of mine._

A vision of two planetary objects appeared in their minds

_If you two enter this contract you will live as humans but also as completely different existences. Different rules, different providence, different life. The power of kings will make you lonely indeed. If you two are prepared for that then._

They saw a man with his hair like a judges wig standing before a sunset lit sky. "A three way conversion with a ragnarok connection. Unprecedented."

In the mindscape Luthur grinned_._ **I am already separate from my fellow men. Your bargain costs me little witch.**_** Very well**_they intoned as one. _**We hereby accept the terms of this contract.**_

Lelouch rose up and looked at the soldiers covering his right eye. "Tell me how should a Brittanian who despises his country live his life."

"Are you some kind of philosopher." The commander gaze drifted from the youth towards the figure who was impossibly getting up and more his arm seemed to be wreathed in blue flame.

"What's wrong afraid to shoot or are you finally learning that the only ones who should kill are those prepared to be killed. I Lelouch Vi Brittania command you all DIE."

His attention being focused on the rising nightmare before him saved the commander. But as soon as his men all shot themselves his gaze turned back to Lelouch in even greater terror. "What are you?"

"He is your better dog." The commander barely had time to register the voice behind him before a sweeping kick knocked him to the ground and a steel foot pinned and crushed his wrist into the ground. Above stood a nightmare the man's right eye had become an orb of pure yellow gazing from his ruined face. Blood still flowed from impossible wounds. But the arm. It had changed. Now black synthetic muscle was covered in pulsing veins and blue flame wreathed the entire limb. The fingers had become armored claws of silver. In the open palm sat an inhuman eye with a distorted crane symbol at the pupil focused on him twitching. "And you are meat." The arm extended forwards and gripped him by the head. Then he began screaming. It went on and on as his limbs shriveled, his skin shrank, his breath stilled and his voice petered off into a pathetic whimpering before finally stopping. Where before there had been a well formed man all that was left was a dehydrated, shriveled corpse that looked to have been buried in the desert for decades. The face frozen in a rictus of agony and terror.

Luthur flung his head back and gave out a howl as the synthetic skin regrew along his arm. His face and hair healed themselves and in minutes he looked like he had not a scratch on him. His eyes twitched as vigor and knowledge flowed into his mind.

He turned and looked at his master with eyes still glowing yellow. They intoned as one "Well then."

Authors note

And so it begins by now it's fairly clear what Luthur and Lelouch roles are. Lelouch is still the leader/strategist/ statesman who comes up with the plans and inspires people. Luthur is the Scientist/ tactician/ Soldier who comes up with the weapons and kills people. He's also incredibly intelligent but his genius is directed more towards science, technology and immediate tactical situations. Like how to kill everyone in the room in utter silence. He's also a few steps above being a functional sociopath but hey nobodies perfect.

Those of you who are readers of the Code Geass Manga variants will recognize the power of THE CURSE that Luthur now possesses. Apparently it is what happens when the contracted receives (Or takes) more power than he is meant to. It's basically an extendable, lifeforce sucking demonic arm. In the manga C.C commented that the person who got it pulled one over on her.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer

I do not own code Geass or any of its manga. This is written solely for my own enjoyment and that of my readers.

Chapter 2

"I must say Luthur you look … better."

That was an understatement. The regeneration of not just his flesh but the damaged cybernetics was thoroughly bizarre. And since Luthur had removed his now ruined vest it was clear the repairs had been total. Not to mention the fact that it had been accomplished by sucking the very life right out of a man.

"I know my lord. But it's not just his life I absorbed I actually sucked knowledge from his mind." Luthur's eyes were losing their yellow glow first the left one and then the right a few seconds later.

"How much?"

"Primarily anything relating to the last two hours. Enough to know that a knightmare will be blasting its way through that wall within 30 seconds. If you'll excuse me my lord." Luthur ran to the wall and then leapt two meters up in the air the extending arm grabbing a support gantry and pulling him into the shadows of the ceiling.

A knightmare smashed through the wall scattering dust and bent sheet metal. Its factsphere opened the specialized camera instantly gathering data that other cameras would miss. "What the royal guards dead?" The voice was that of a woman as the knightmare raised its rifle at Lelouch. "Who are you what happened here?"

"Give me your knightmare."

"Who the hell do you think you are boy?"

Lelouch grimaced as he came across one of the limitations of his power. _Hmm so it does need direct eye contact. _"My name is Alan Spacer. My father is a duke. My ID card is in my breast pocket. After you've confirmed it I'd like to request your protection."

"Very well reach your hand into the pocket and hold it up for my camera."

Lelouch grimaced and reached his hand towards his pocket pulling in his two middle fingers grasped by his thumb while his outer fingers were extended. Attack

A small disc flew from the rafters to strike at the top access panel for the knightmare cockpit block. Immediately the disk attached itself and tripped the 2cm emergency access system for retrieving an unconscious pilot.

The Brittanian cursed as her seat shot back out. Before she could do anything a giant figure dropped onto the back of her chair and yanked her out of the cockpit. He used her ponytail to pull her head back so that Lelouch could look directly into her eyes. "Give me your knightmare." Suddenly she calmed.

"Of course the code is XG2-ID2-ID4." she removed her pistol and key and flung them to Lelouch. Right after that the arms tightened around her throat and she was strangled into unconsciousness. After lowering her to the floor Luthur tore her shirt to tie her arms behind her as well as gag her. He then took the ammunition from the guard's weapons and created an ammobelt from their own uniforms before slinging the rifle over his shoulder.

"Luthur how quickly could you disable that knightmare's IFF?"

Luthur didn't even look up. "It's still using Auer pattern 2 configuration for the cockpit hardware. Half a minute with the codes." He paused a moment. "May I take it my lord does not wish to flee the engagement zone?"

"Far from it. In fact I think it is time to speed up our schedule." Lelouch held up the terrorists radio.

Luthur's eyes narrowed and his mouth shifted into a smile any shark would envy.

The Painter

Clovis Vi Brittania was scowling as the 'contact lost' report from his personal guard unit refused to go away. If any of the regular troops found the test subject than the risk to him would be severe. _I can't risk anyone in the homeland finding out what I was up to. _"Enough Bartley we're running out of time. Order a full purge of the ghetto. We'll tell the people back home it's a case of urban renewal. In my authority as viceroy of area Eleven I Clovis Vi Brittania command this. Kill all elevens in the Shinjuku ghetto

The Knight

"Too Bad"

The honorary Brittanian leapt upwards almost headbutting the lavender haired scientist standing over him. As Suzaku regained his senses he saw a young woman with violet hair and light blue eyes.

"Where am I?"

"Still in the Shinjuku ghetto. I'm afraid." The oddball (although Suzaku kept that thought in his own head) was looking at Suzaku like a mechanic trying to pick which wrench to use.

"We're close to Prince Clovis so really it's the safest place." The woman trailed off before showing Suzaku a broken pocketwatch held in a white handkerchief. "This is what saved you."

"It barely kept the bullet from killing you."

"Is it something precious to you?"

"Ah yes…" Suzaku replied taking the watch. He gazed at its cracked surface memories pulling at his thoughts.

"I believe you Elevens have a god for every object. I guess this one must have been fond of you."

"Er was there anyone around me?"

"Hmm oh no there wasn't."

"I see what's the situation."

"Well they got control of the poison gas although a lot of the Elevens were killed." The lavender haired weirdo gestured to a monitor screen showing Brittanian troops moving down a roadway.

"It seems the culprits have not been caught though."

Suzaku frowned in thought.

"Private Kururugi do you have any experience piloting knightmare frames?"

"Well there were the simulator courses."

"Congratulations." The man cried, twirling two gold activator keys in his hand. "How would you like to test one."

"Me but honorary Brittanians aren't…"

"Wonderful the Lancelot it is." The man tucked a key into his pocket. "Follow me."

Suzaku had to jog to keep up with the oddly dressed scientist. After leaving the medical APC they came to another vehicle. In front of which stood two four and a half meter tall humanoid shapes under tarp. Although the second one seemed to have several sharp points sticking out under the cloth.

"Congratulations" The technician cried again. "A totally new knightmare awaits you. If you get in you and your life will be changed forever."

"Whether you want to or not."

The Devil and his Reaper

Lelouch calmly piloted the Sutherland through the wreckage of Shinjuku. Clinging to the cockpit block of the knightmare stood Luthur with Brittanian combat armor jury rigged onto his chest. His head was concealed in a mask of medical bandages looted from a first aid kit and a Brittanian set of camera goggles strapped over his eyes. He tapped a com device bound to his ear. "They're conducting a full purge. The radio chatter is full of 'building cleared' reports."

Lelouch noted the ice in his brother's voice. "Before we proceed we need some outside information." Flipping out his cell phone he speed dialed a number. "Shirley are you near a television? I'm sorry but it's important. Yes you've got me I'm out gambling with my older brother. Please check the news is anything happening in Shinjuku? … I see. Thank you." Hanging up Lelouch reached for his com. "It seems things are simpler then I thought. Clovis has shut down all access to the area, he's classified this operation." An explosion overhead drew the brothers attention as a slash harken darted from the billowing wreck of an ornithopter to the same red Glasgow they'd seen earlier.

"So he can't call for any reinforcements without drawing further attention. Whatever that girl was or knew he must be terrified of anyone getting a hint of it. Even the commander of the royal guard only knew she was very important. And that Clovis used elaborate security measures to protect any information about it." Luthur adjusted the camera goggles strapped to his face to zoom in on the red knightmare. Which was retreating down a side street from a pair of Sutherlands. "He'll have them kill everyone here no matter their race."

"Indeed so we use the terrorists. What do we have in available general inventory?"

"There are two consignments of stock hidden in the area one E one L. However they are in deep storage we would not be able to retrieve them fast enough to affect the situation. However since royal guardsmen are dual trained as infantrymen and knightmare pilots they always like to have some available. So going from what I extracted from our helpful captain I know where we can find some Sutherlands."

"If you could so kindly retrieve them I need to find a white square."

The Queen.

"Damn it" Kallen hissed as the Sutherlands fire barely missed her. Another burst nicked the glasgows head carving a streak along the side.

Suddenly a strange voice blared over the radio "Head west! Use the last of your energy to head west along the tracks."

"Who the hell are you and how did you get this frequency?"

"That does not matter. If you want to win this trust me."

"Win?" Without further ado, Kallen obeyed, leaping her frame and heading west. The Brit Sutherlands following. She sped along the tracks and beheld a Train heading her direction at high speed.

"In return for believing in me we'll help you win. Jump onto the train"

Kallen leapt up onto the caboose kicked off the car behind it and proceeded further along. The lead Sutherland caught the caboose slowing it and the rest of the train down. Jeremiah cursed. "You go after the… "He never finished the sentence as the knightmare who leapt over him was destroyed by a slash harken fired from the building across.

"Friendly fire? What's your rank and serial number." The enemy Sutherland fired again the bullets smashing the Sutherlands right shoulder and landspinner. The train engine growled and picked up speed. "Damn it." Jeremiah punched the eject lever before the Sutherland was run down. The cockpit block shot out of the knightmare and at fifty meters distance deployed parachutes. The knightmare fell over on its damaged leg which was shredded when the train ran it over.

"Thank you." Kallen spoke on the radio "But how did you get hold of a knightmare?"

She stopped speaking when she saw that the knightmare had vanished. Then she saw her group moving along the train tracks towards her.

"Hey Kallen we got them out."

"Really Toshidas group too?"

"Yes they'll all be here soon to."

They all stopped as the door to the train's driver compartment opened. First a dead Britanian officer flopped out followed by a giant of a man. His wore armor too small for him that was held on with jury rigged straps and his face looked like an escapee from a mummy movie. "Are you the leader?" The voice sputtered out of the radio. "That man you see is my lieutenant. We give you everything in that train as a tool to achieve victory. If you want to win listen to my commands!" The giant held up a remote control and the doors on the sides of the carriages opened. In each car were ten new Sutherlands and crates of ammo and equipment. Without a word the bandaged soldier leapt up into the first one and into its cockpit.

"What the hell how did they get hold of these?"

The terrorist's lapse into profanity continued as they boarded the trains and began unloading Kallen just looked shocked.

"You in the glasgow how is your energy?" Kallen answered the radio.

"I have fifteen minutes worth."

"Change your energy filler. Then proceed northwest. They'll be an enemy patrol there soon." Kallen looked up to see the Sutherland the giant was piloting. Somehow he'd applied a dash of white paint to the factsphere. He handed her an energy filler. She had her glasgow take it and ejected the spent one in her core before reloading.

As the terrorists began loading the equipment Luthur led his knightmare along with Kallen. Lelouch moved his knightmare onto the inner level of what had once been a multistory car park. "Q1 its time to lure in some fish K-1 take position four, extended range."

Luthur drew the anti knightmare sniper rifle he'd attached and leapt up onto the support pylon for a fallen motorway.

Kallen started as a deep voice entered her cockpit. "Q-1 this is K-1 I am in position if you could head across the square to the west we can start killing Brits."

Lelouch watched in his Sutherlands factsphere as the Glasgow stepped into the open and was spotted by a pair of VTOL scouts. The IFF sensors showed two Brittanians heading for Q-1.

"R-1 P-2 fire through the wall now." A horizontal hail of assault rounds tore the knights apart.

"Q-1 this is K-1 there are four knightmares heading your way from the south east. Drive towards me and break west on my mark."

Kallen started accelerating towards Luthur as four knightmares burst into the street behind her. _Closer_. She swerved to dodge their fire and they tightened their formation firing their weapons. _Closer._ His focused his aim on the lead knightmares right leg. "Mark"

Kallen swerved around the corner and as the Brittanians turned after her the lead knightmare fell as a high powered round shot its right leg out. The second knightmare crashed right into it while the other two were shot clean through their exposed cockpit blocks as they moved either side to avoid collision. The second pilot barely had time to right himself before a round penetrated through the side of his cockpit and took both his legs off at the knee. "You bastard." He screamed through the pain as he forced the Sutherland weapon around. Before another shot shattered the factsphere. He punched the eject just before the third blew up the knightmares Yggdrasill drive. "You goat milking keshhhk bastard if I have to strap rifles onto my legs I will shoot you until you are bleeding out more keskkkkk holes than god intended. I Sir Richard Maxwell will royally kehskkkkk"

"Impressive." K-1 noted as he holstered is rifle and drew his assault rifle. The mans cockpit was out of range but his static garbled tide of abuse still washed over the com before his pod landed in a crater and deactivated its short range radio.

"Still alive Q-1?"

"Roger."

"Good there is work to do."

The battle began to turn against the Brittanians. With clinical precision Lelouch ordered the units around executing Brittanian forces in the inner area while their commanders grew in dismay. "R-4 deploy slash harkens." A bridge collapsed taking infantry with it.

"B-3, B-4 open fire at point seven." A squad of knightmares was felled with rifle fire from above.

"We've lost Graysons unit."

"P1 to P 6 use UN ordinance." An APC was destroyed.

"All forces engage at coordinates specified."

"Filthy Elevens." Knights cried as the Japanese knightmares hit them from three sides and felled them with crossfire.

"The enemy has seized control of our knightmares."

"Q-1 K-1 eliminate enemy flanking force."

Ten knightmares and 35 infantry died as a buildings support beams were detonated with explosives burying them under rubble.

"We've changed the frequency five times how are they doing this?"

"K-1 he should be coming round the corner right now."

A knightmare pilot edged around a building only to find an assault rifle held level with his factsphere. At point blank range.

"Sir Arthur just vanished."

Lelouch sat in his cockpit listening to the sounds of panic. _Now then Clovis there are five possible options open to you._

The Painter

In the G-1 command base Clovis rose looking at the tactical screen

"Enough send all forces to the centre of the formation."

"But that will cause our formation to crumble."

"Send everyone to the central location. Break off the forces surrounding the G-1 we know they are there."

The Devil

Lelouch raised an eyebrow as he saw all the encircling forces accelerate for the dead zone he and the terrorists had created. "Well he's chosen the most foolish move possible."

"Q-1 is your map accurate?"

"Yes but it's of the old city."

"That will do. K-1 move to position 4. Now are you ready?

"Hai."

Luthur grinned as he accelerated his knightmare through a wall and down into the street.

"I call check." The Brittanian forces arrived at the centre of the map only to find the Glasgow was not there.

"What where are they?"

Underground the red Glasgow and the Sutherlands fired their slash harkens at a very specific spot and then sped down the tunnel as concrete cracked and the streets above collapsed into a crater from the combined weight of so many tanks, knightmare and APC's.

"Mate" and both Luthur and Lelouch began laughing in triumph.

The Painter

In the G-1 base Clovis was feeling the chill of terror. _Who the hell am I up against here? _With the collapse of the formation there was nothing to stop the enemy from charging right towards him. Except. "Lloyd can your toy win this for us."

The scientist adjusted his glasses. "Please your highness, call it the Lancelot."

The Knight

The cloth was pulled back revealing a white knightmare with angled shoulderblades and a horned head. The Lancelot went through the startup sequence as Suzaku familiarized himself with the controls. "Inserting Energy battery. Initiating drive sequence." Inside the Lancelot the small cube of solid sakuradite in the Yggdrasill drive began its rotation.

"Drive sequence started"

"Has there been any report of survivors?" Suzaku knew that every second this fight continued Lelouch and his bodyguard would be in danger.

"I'm afraid not we've lost contact with everyone in the area."

Suzaku gripped the watch in his pocket. _If I can disable everyone in the field I can stop the fighting._ His eyes became set. "Lancelot launching." The white knightmare took a runners stance and then the landspinners kicked into high gear.

"Well he's a runner straight out the gate." Lloyd laughed as the gale from the Lancelot buffeted him.

The terrorists emerged above ground and under Lelouchs direction began advancing through the rubble towards the G-1's position. Luthur led the second group. Victory was certain. Until the report came in. "There's a single knightmare it's a new one ahgh." Lelouch looked at the board. One of his knightmares was down and his attacker was not showing on the IFF net. A single unit? "P-1 P-2 move to point seven and intercept. R -4 R-2 flank from the west" The terrorists opened up on the enemy only to watch the white knightmare leap left, wall jump off a building and drop two of them with slash harkens while flying through the air. Then before they could get over their shock he spinning kicked them with his landspinners and decapitated R-2 with another pair of slash harkens fired from its arms. "K-1 they've deployed a specialist unit. Get him in the open and hit him with massed fire. P-7 P-8 withdraw to point five to lure him in"

Luthur turned to the five men following him. "Right you're with me."

Luthur led his men onto the buildings above the open intersection as he saw the two knightmares retreating their fire getting more panicked. "Steady, steady lads."

His soldiers readied their rifles even as the two on the ground cried out. "We can't stop it."

"If any of you fire too early I will eat your hearts." The sheer terror of Luthur's words kept the Japanese aim steady.

Then both knightmares were disabled as the white knight hit them. But he stood now in the central square. There was no way the enemy could dodge the counterfire in that position. "Fire." The Japanese opened up only to watch the enemy raise his forearms and their weapons were stopped by _Energy shields?_

Luthur managed to get a burst past the shields edge but all he managed was to knock the frames horn off. The enemy knightmare immediately launched a single harken and hauled himself onto the opposite roof where he dropped the two knightmares there. The third got shot by accident by the increasingly panicked fire.

Luthur flung a chaos grenade only to see the enemy block it with a single shield while the other arm decapitated his squadmate. Luthur reversed and knew he could not dodge the enemies attack. As the knightmare fired he flung out the Sutherlands left arm to take the hit and then detached it. Using the distraction he fired his gun down and crashed through the floor below as his last soldier ejected. Luthur then accelerated through the internal walls and out the back. "Bastard isn't bothering to kill us. Now that's just insulting."

Lelouch grew increasingly dismayed as the knightmare proceeded to dance around the battlefield disabling his forces one by one. Soon only Q-1 and K-1 were left.

"My lord he's targeted you." Lelouch looked up to see the white knightmare approaching his hideaway. "Damn it." The white knightmare leapt up into his field of vision.

"Are you the one causing all this!" Suzaku's rage filled cry was stopped by Kallen's glasgow moving in to block his attack. He was just about to destroy her with the other arm when the one armed sutherland from before swung around the side of the building with its own slash harken and rammed him forcing the pair of them off the ledge as the enemy commander retreated. The sutherland pulled the trigger on the rifle stuck between them and fired assault rounds down into the Lancelot's leg as they dropped.

Meanwhile Luthur punched the eject on his knightmare and waited to see his enemy fall, helplessly wrapped up in his own knightmare. Only for the knightmare to untangle itself while falling from a thirty story building and fire a slash harken to slow its descent. Not quite fast enough as the knightmare still smashed into the side of the building with enough force that he could see it break its right landspinner. Even so it could have reached him if it didn't turn and grab a falling civilian from the tower.

Luthur smiled "Hmm you _are_ different." He touched his communicator.

"My lord the enemy unit has been slowed but our forces are defeated."

"No matter I'll pick you up at point seven its time for a reunion. Give the order for the remainders to go to ground."

"I will. Q-1 there should be a subway junction still intact at coordinates 23-47. You can hide the Glasgow there."

The Devil and the Reaper

A few minutes later as the remnants of Clovis's infantry began a rather disorganized advance into the centre a pair of soldiers approached the G-1 Base.

"Halt you must show identification to pass this checkpoint."

"Of course but first … let us into the base." The eye flashed red.

"Yes sir."

Inside the base a pair of soldiers in full combat gear and helmets stood outside the entrance to the command bridge. A pair of soldiers approached the larger one had his weapon holstered his right hand was held behind him and his left hand in front of him. "Halt identify yourself or be." He never finished the sentence as a demonic clawed hand reached across the room and its steel fingers punched right through his neck. His fellow said nothing because of the silenced pistol bullet that had struck the weakpoint just below his visor.

In the command room the Brittanian officers tried to bring order out of the mess the terrorists had made of their forces.

"Our forces are reporting no resistance sir but soon we will."

A mighty shout echoed through the room "BANANAS" all of the men turned to see a giant in Brittanian uniform holding a bloodied helmet and another man with a glowing red eye.

The Queen

"Damn it why did you have to stir up the Brits? You only cause trouble for the rest of us."

"Be grateful you asshole we're fighting for you."

Kallen cursed as she stood in the warehouse. The Brittanians had found them and as she listened to the complaints of the others she found herself missing the cold voice of the bandaged man. "Line up the guns I want to finish this vermin quickly." A mother cried a she held her baby close and then.

"Stop fighting. I Clovis Vi Brittania order all units to cease their attack. All the wounded whether Brittanian or Eleven will be treated equally. In my authority as viscount I command this be so." Kallen could not see the expressions of the Brittanians but she knew she was stunned. _They did it t__hey actually did it._

The Painter

In a darkened command room Clovis sat back in his throne.

"Well now shall we swap stories or perhaps you'd like a game of chess."

Two figures stood in shadow the slimmer of the two holding a pistol at him.

"My dear Clovis we've been playing chess since the day you took over administration of Area 11. And with one very recent exception you've been an absolutely terrible player."

"I don't understand."

"Of course you don't."

The giant spoke.

"I must admit Clovis I thought the only talent you possessed was for painting but you actually managed to fool us all into thinking that black project of yours was a gas weapon. I suppose even a broken clock is right twice."

"You see we always played chess at the Aires villa Clovis and no matter how hard you tried I would always win. You never could see beyond the obvious."

Clovis felt his spine chill to ice."Who are you?"

The figure stepped into the light and revealed the violet eyes and features of a boy Clovis thought long dead. "I am Lelouch Vi Brittania and I have returned."

"Lelouch everyone thought you were dead. We should return to the homeland at once."

Lelouch sneered "What so me and Nunnally can be used as tools for diplomacy? Perhaps you've forgotten why we were used as tools in the first place. But we're running out of time. MY mother was a commoner made a knight through her achievements. But that did not sit well with the other consorts did it." Lelouch's face twisted in hatred. "That's why you people murdered my mother."

"What no I swear I didn't have anything to do with it."

"Then who did? The truth cannot be kept from me any longer. Tell me who was responsible for her death." The crane flew forth from his eye.

Clovis stiffened and then his eyes became glazed. "Prince Schniezel and Princess Cornelia they can tell you more."

"They were at the heart of all this?" Clovis hesitated. "Hmm that's all you know isn't it."

"I swear it wasn't me."

"I believe you. Now." Lelouch pressed the pistol into Clovis's eye.

"Wait we may have different mothers but you and I are still blood."

"Of course we are that's why I'm doing this personally."

"Wait." Lelouch stiffened as the giant spoke and Clovis breathed a sigh of relief.

"I need his eyeballs intact my lord. Shoot him in the heart."

"Very well." And Lelouch pointed his pistol downwards and fired.

He watched calmly as Clovis body shuddered and the light fled his eyes.

Then Luthur moved forward and drew out a combat knife. "By the way K-1 bananas?"

"It was what I had for breakfast."

Authors note.

In the darkness of castle Von Harken

Lelouch: His eyeballs?

Derain : Mwahahahah. My brilliance will become clear in time minion.

Luthur: He's been reading girl genius again hasn't he?

Lelouch: Oh yes.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer I do not own Code Geass in either anime or manga form. This is written for my enjoyment and that of my readers.

Chapter 3

_The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist._

The Devil and the Reaper

As chaos reigned and the Brittanians finally twigged to their princes death a pair of stolen Sutherlands continued along the subway tunnels leading out of Shinjuku. Eventually they passed into the area under the Brittanians settlement. Before coming to an innocuous concrete wall. Luthur stepped out and pulled his goggles back from his face. He removed a cellphone and typed in a series of numbers before holding the phone next to the wall. There was a faint beep then the wall slid back and the Sutherlands moved on. They passed through another series of tunnels and chambers many with large crates of material under tarps. Before coming to another wall which opened to Lelouch's iris scan. This time they only travelled in a straight tunnel for another two hundred meters before reaching a large steel doorway. Both men spoke through their knightmare mikes "Who speaks for the dead?" The door slid back and both men arrived into a large well lit chamber. Ten meters high and seventy square meters across.

The left half of the room was given over to industry. A series of mechanical arms and welding devices hung from the ceiling and knightmare frames in states of disassembly were placed along the wall. Sutherlands, glasgows, a couple of gloucesters and an EU Russ knightmare. Some of the knightmares showed several modifications. At the far end was a larger shadowed figure with trailing black cables linking it to a series of support structures. A number of computers, small machining tools and fabricator devices were placed in clear precision around the area. What looked like a two meter tall suit of armor with a four eyed helm was standing in a transparent cylinder with readouts scrolling beside it. A dozen equipment lockers were behind it. Guns and other mechanical devices lay in states of disassembly stretched out on a large workbench along with written notepads and pens. A huge whiteboard with ludicrously complex mathematical equations stood next to it.

The middle of the room contained what appeared to be a circular conference table along with another mass of computer equipment with multiple screens, a pair of keyboards and one large screen that was 4 meters across and 3 high. The right side of the room contained an empty central area laid out in a circle. Weapon racks lay around it. A collection of swords, guns, axes, tonfas, halberds and almost every form of ranged or close combat weapon concievable. One in particular held a set of huge hand scythes. A small kitchen alcove with a pair of comfy sofas and a chess board lay in the corner. A large black bird was dozing on its perch on the wall above. The far right wall was a shooting range. But if you turned around you'd see that the side near the door was rather different a number of scrolls written in Japanese hung from the wall. Paintings, a crucifix and what appeared to be a small shrine with incense burning in it. A pair of photographs were placed at the shrine which lay in shadow. A large painting showed an image of four warriors on horses riding out of a glowing doorway.

Luthur parked his knightmare in a side bay. He grabbed a bag from his side seat and then leapt out moving towards a door at the left side of the room. He entered a chamber that looked like a strange combination of a surgery and an electronic repair shop. He removed the dripping package from the bag and placed the basketball sized object into a strange metal harness before touching a button. Several small mechanical arms and scanning devices moved forwards and began delicately working on the decapitated head of Clovis Vi Brittania. There was a refrigerator at one end and he placed the now somewhat squelchy bag in his right hand into it.

He washed his hands in a surgical sink and walked back out to see Lelouch inserting a data stick from a knightmares combat recorder into the central computer console.

The data came up showing the white knightmare moving like an acrobat as it destroyed Luthurs team. The computer began analyzing the footage and a second screen began showing noted reaction times, electromagnetic readings and other data from the factsphere. Luthur grimaced. "Well whatever that shield is it generates a powerful EM field in the act of containing the energy. Although a sutherlands sensors are not quite elaborate enough to tell us as much we'd like. Still it tells us a bit about the pilot."

"Oh."

"Unless the Brittanians have suddenly developed neurohelmets then they're using the standard two stick and pedal control interface. With reaction speeds like that even assuming this is an excellent pilot we're looking at abnormal reflexes and high end motor control. Well above the average. Someone that good will have probably made a name for themselves."

"We'll send a copy for analysis to the hidden city. In fact we may have to go there in person."

"Really why?"

Lelouch turned to his adopted brother and smiled. "Because I meant what I said about speeding up the schedule. Clovis is dead but with Geass the possibilities are enough that I intend to commence phase one."

Luthur rubbed his chin in though as he pulled off the last of his bandages. "Our earliest projections did not see the commencement of phase one for another nine months. They will want to know why. Regardless, all of our initial planning saw us dealing with Clovis in the initial stages of phase one. His replacement will be a different order and we both know who that is likely to be."

"I have already considered that. In fact with what Clovis told us I am anticipating it." Lelouchs face flashed a predator's grin. "Besides even at our most optimistic we both knew she was going to turn up eventually. Just as everyone knew that we'd have to begin to adapt to shifting circumstances once it all kicks off."

"Perhaps but we could have gotten that information without killing such a usefully inept opponent. I don't dispute the necessity, the moment he saw your face and recognized you he had to die. Why did you need him to know who you were?"

Lelouch's face was calm as he looked back at the screen. "I had three reasons one personal the other two practical." He turned to look at Luthur. "Choose."

Luthur paused they had often played this game with one another when explaining why they made a particular choice in strategy. "Practical. The second."

"We don't know how much he knew about the power that woman gave us. He might have figured out we used it on him. Perhaps he would have found a way to overcome the memory loss. The risk was too great especially considering as you said he'd already proven he was capable of fooling us." Luthur thought for two seconds then nodded in agreement. "As for the conclave we will tell the truth but only partially."

"How much?"

"We will tell them that Clovis was carrying out human experimentation. That we are going over what material and data we obtained. But because of its very nature we wish to classify it in the black vault. That will allow us to conceal the bulk of the information. If we go right out and tell them I've obtained the power of mind control they will want some assurance I have not used it on them. We need more data before I could even give them that. Even after nearly seven years they are suspicious of me."

"We're a collection of scientists, criminals, special forces operatives and intelligence agents. Being inquisitive and suspicious comes with the job." Luthur frowned the black vault classification referred to weapons, or information so dangerous that knowledge of the possibility of their existence was considered hazardous. Like Lelouch's true identity or even… He casually brushed his left arm in memory of that which had led him to create the black vault in the first place. The distrust and fear that mind control could inspire in their own side was reason enough to classify it for now.

Lelouch gave back a wry smile. "Regardless I'm sure you'll find enough in his personal files to satisfy them for a while."

"That probably won't be hard." Luthur fingered a USB disc in his pocket. "Honestly a voiceprint, facial recognition and an iris scan. That's practically an invitation for someone to decapitate you. I'll be taking my fellow conclave member with me for that one." His face became grim and he held out a phone to Lelouch "However there is another matter to deal with. We've got ten minutes until you are meant to be at student council meeting. Milly has sent a message made it clear that failure to turn up for this meeting will result in the dissemination of photos. Photos taken of us on the 2nd of June in the year 2014."

Lelouch actually paled. "Well lets get going."

Luthur finished removing his gear and donned a set of black trousers and a business shirt.

Both of the brothers headed to the elevator just off from the central table.

As they got in they straightened their clothes while Luthur pressed a button on the wall. The elevator rose. When it stopped a screen on the wall showed them three shots of an empty corridor near the schools underground water storage. They pressed a second switch and the door opened. They then began to lightly jog their way along the access tunnel that would lead them to the council room. Definitely not running. Not even under the threat of THAT would they allow themselves to be hurried.

The school council was held in a rather ostentatious building near the centre of the campus. Luthur moved to open the door and they entered a magnificent ballroom colored in light shades of white and gold. After ascending the stairs they approached a very ornate door which before Luthur could reach it burst open. Standing in the doorway was a blond teenage girl with a very mischevious air.

"Lelouch. Luthur. How dare you arrive to our most august council chambers late. Shame, shame upon you."

Luthur managed to look solemn. "I must protest this is not the month of August."

"Sorry Milly we had to pick up a few parcels." Lelouch tried to redirect the playfully angered President of the school council before she began needling Luthur for his pedantic (and doomed) attempts to defuse her teasing. Before them was a large table with tottering piles of paperwork dominating the furniture.

"Hey where were you guys today? We were supposed to go uhm to the thing." Rivalz Lelouchs blue haired classmate continued to stumble before the orange haired girl at the other end of the table interrupted him.

"They were supposed to take you gambling with them weren't they?" Milly pointed her finger like a laser at Luthurs chest. "Luthur Harken Lamplerouge you should be ashamed of yourself. You're setting a terrible example for your younger brother dragging him all over the place to gamble. During school hours too. You'll have him lose all his money."

"I don't drag him anywhere. I just happen to drive to places while he sits in the sidecar. Besides it's hard to call it gambling when he always wins."

"Then why were you so late?"

"Well we were celebrating his victory. I'm away so often I like to enjoy my time with my brother when I'm here."

"Oh yeah our Luthur is one very bad, bad boy. Why who knows what they did to celebrate? Maybe he should be strip searched for contraband." Milly smile was very speculative.

"There is no contrabanding going on." Luthur started to look rather flustered.

"Well to prove your innocence you will have to do a virtuous deed and help us sort the paperwork."

Luthur sighed. Lelouch tried to cover his grin. Luthur just didn't seem to hold his own in any conversation where science, criminality or violence was not present. Although to be fair Milly could have flustered the most socially well adjusted person in the world "Come on brother it won't take long." Lelouch sat before a pile of documents and pulled a pair of rectangular reading glasses from his pocket placing them onto his nose. Milly rolled her eyes as far as she knew Lelouch had perfect eyesight the glasses were just an affectation he'd picked up years ago.

Luthur grumbled (albeit with a slight smile) as he sat down and started sifting the documents into various piles.

Lelouch grinned again. Luthur's cover story as his travelling businessman brother was an excellent justification for him being away for days or weeks at a time. Although one other benefit was that when he was here he ended up acting as a magnet for some of the more irritating factors of Lelouch's school life.

Lelouch started signing papers with one hand while the other moved through a series of exercises in the air.

For several minutes they all knuckled down and endured the bureaucracy until Lelouch looked at Luthur.

"Luthur that isn't part of the budget for the athletic clubs."

Luthur looked up at Lelouch and then closer at the twisted handwriting on the form.

"Oh great. It's another request for funding from your so called physics club."

"Oh don't start that again."

"Well the implication of a physics club is that those in it will have a better appreciation of physics than those who are not in the physics club. Nina isn't a member and that should tell you all you need to know." Luthur gestured towards the greenhaired science girl across the table who smiled back.

"They're not that bad Luthur."

"When I started asking them about some of the theoretical properties of sub atomic particles when accelerated in a superconductor they had to gall to act like I was a jock pretending to know about science. They're a bunch of pretentious twits who would probably pass out halfway through your theory on tachyon particles falling backwards through time in a."

Nina actually became assertive and spoke back. "That would only be in the effect of quantum tunneling which would be impossible without..."

Lelouch groaned as he saw all the other council members rest their heads on their hands. Outmaneuvered by Milly again Luthur was taking revenge on them all. He was double teaming with Nina to melt their brains with the power of science.

Rivalz's eyes began to glaze over as Nina and Luthur carried on about something involving the inescapable gravity of black holes. "Uhm maybe we should leave some of this stuff for tomorrow."

"Yes." The rest of the council all cried in agreement even as they looked on in incomprehension.

"GUTS."

Everyone looked at Milly who was actually resting her shapely right leg on the table as she leaned forward.

Shirley finally spoke. "That guts thing again?"

"Yes it's a spell to make you all work harder." You couldn't hear any crickets because the birds tweeting outside must have eaten them.

**Forty five minutes later.**

Lelouch and Luthur walked together as they headed towards his class

"Well Luthur genius of science, master of the lethal arts once again you bend to the will of Mistress Milly."

"Oh let up Lelouch I didn't see you finding any way out of doing the paperwork either."

Both he and Lelouch were speaking in their own variant of Afrikeutsch an altered form of German used in the former nation of South Africa.

"All you had to do was sort them I needed to affix signatures. By the way according to your data the JLF is changing the contact for tomorrows weapons deal." Lelouch waved a hand and a bio on Colonel Tohdoh appeared in front of him. Lelouchs glasses had a very special feature. The lenses projected holographic imagery onto Lelouchs eyes which he manipulated using trained eye movements and his hands which had special haptic interfaces placed in the fingertips. The glasses were connected to signal relays scattered all around the school before linking up to their primary computer underground. It was a miniature laptop invisible to everybody else. Luthur's was connected as well although since his right eye was artificial he didn't need any glasses. Essentially they'd spent the whole forty five minutes planning their actions and sharing information.

"Yes I expected Kusakabe to remain our contact especially after we gave him the first generation Raikou for 'field testing'."

"I think that was a case of his eyes being too big for his stomach. How does he plan to move the thing around anyway?"

"Mounting it on a truck would be best. This time we're delivering them a platoon of burai along with twenty of the new ronin we built off the Sutherland chassis. Plus one special order of four knightmare scale chainsaw katanas."

"Interesting that would imply their work on a high dexterity variant of their own must be complete or near to it. Hmm perhaps it is time for you to meet the good colonel personally."

"That would be … interesting." Luthur looked away for a minute frowning in the recollection of a bittersweet memory. "I haven't seen him since the day after Itsikushima. When I brought the news to the Prime Minister it was …" Luthur sighed. They reached the door to Lelouchs classroom and Luthur switched back to English. "I'd better go find Sayoko we need to talk about the errand we'll run tonight."

Lelouch sat down at his desk and was about to pocket his 'glasses' when he saw a flash of red. He turned his head to the right and froze. It was the red haired Glasgow pilot from Shinjiku. Lelouch moved his chair back and reached up to tap the right side of his glasses.

A tiny camera lens on the bridge took a photo of the girls face while he quickly text messaged to Luthur across their datalink.

The Queen

As well as she played the part of a shy, weak Brittanian student inside Kallen was struggling to contain the emotional equivalent of a fuel air bomb. Right now the teacher was discussing the downfall of Japans imperial family to figure heads after the pacific war of 1952. But it was the part dealing with the death of the entire line during the invasion as the "Nail in the coffin of an inept and mysticism wreathed society." That made her dream of getting in her knightmare and curb stomping the entire teaching staff.

_Argggh why am I even here I should be planning with ohgi for our next move or at least figure out what we're going to tell our backer._ She tilted her head back as she had the strange sensation that someone was talking about her. She looked to her right but all that was there was a rather thin Brittanian with short hair, violet eyes and a sharp chin. He was focused on the book in front on his desk so she discounted him.

The Devil

"Rivalz that girl three chairs up from us who is she?" his hand typed out Girl from Shinjiku

"That's Kallen Stadtfield. She's the daughter of a nobleman. She's been absent for a lot of the school season because of chronic illness. It makes her physically frail."

"Really?" Kallen Stadtfield Get her records.

"Yeah does a bit of home schooling. She's excluded from physical activities."

We need to separate her from the others after class. 

"Still easy on the eyes isn't she."

"Yes. Indeed she is." Lelouch adjusted his glasses again as the class started in earnest. Luthur I need you to create a distraction. 

Text scrawled across his vision. I know just the way.

The Devil and the Reaper

Lelouch was hiding behind some bushes at the edge of the closed courtyard keeping his eye on Kallen as she sat with a pair of her friends. Although they lacked the ability to perceive how utterly unresponsive she was to anything they said.

Although now he was out of class he could simply talk into a small microphone at his collar. "Luthur are you in position."

"I am."

"Where?"

"Can't you see me? I can see you attempting to hide behind that bush. Helpful hint pull your legs in."

"Irrelevant now distract and isolate her."

"Done."

The Queen

Kallen was utterly bored although strangely it helped her maintain her sickly persona while she listened to the droning of her self absorbed Brit friends.

_They only talk to me because of my fathers money self centered Brit twits._

"CAW CAW." Suddenly the girls started shrieking and Kallen batted her hands as an abnormally large black crow flew down and began attacking her. The other girls shrieked and ran away but the damn thing kept following her across the courtyard. Swooping around to snap at her hair cackling as it did. She retreated to the edge of the courtyard and since she couldn't see anyone else around she picked up a branch clipping from the garden and started swatting at the persistent black avian. Suddenly it turned around and flew off.

"Whew."

"Excuse me." It took all of Kallen's control not to leap in the air.

_If someone saw me swat that bird I am busted. _

"Can I help you?" Kallen turned around slowly even as she grabbed her pink purse. Standing in front of her was that scarecrow thin boy from the class only without the glasses. He was cast into shadow by the huge man standing right behind him.

The young man spoke "Yes could you." And his eye glowed red.

The Devil and the Reaper

"Answer our questions about Shinjuku."

"Of course what do you want to know." He face went blank and her hand dropped away from where she'd probably held a concealed weapon.

"Were you the pilot of the Glasgow from Shinjuku."

"Yes."

"Where did you obtain the knightmare from."

"Ohgi bought it from an arms dealer Kenro who works for the Shinigami."

Luthur raised an eyebrow at that Shinigami was one of the aliases he used in Japan as an arms dealer and smuggler.

"Was it sold to you bright red?"

"No we painted it that way to cover all the rust." That got Luthur angry someone was being careless with the merchandise if they were selling corroded knightmares.

Lelouch glanced at his brother to remind him that he was doing the interrogation.

"Your group was small how did you pay for the knightmare?"

"We were given the money by our backer. I only know she's a woman. I'm not sure if even Ohgi knows who she really is."

"Why are you a terrorist? Your father is a wealthy and influential member of the nobility."

"I'm half Japanese my brother fought in the resistance and was killed by the Brittanians."

Luthur's eyes narrowed "What was his name?"

"Naoto."

"So she joined a terrorist group in revenge for her brother's death. He was probably its leader or at least a member."

"I imagine so."

However since they'd stopped questioning her they didn't notice Kallen's eyes go back to normal.

The Queen

"Huh" Kallen took a double take she had been running away from a bird and now a giant and a scarecrow were having a conversation with each other.

The giant turned his gaze back to her. "Oh yes don't mention anything about Shinjuku."

"What do you know about Shinjiku?

The scarecrow blanched and he looked to have an inflamed eyeball. "Don't talk about Shinjuku." Kallen narrowed her eyes and her hand drifted to her purse.

The giant intervened. "People have been showing footage of the killings. It's very graphic. Not something a person of weak constitution should want to see. Actually are you alright? You appear dazed."

Kallen remembered she was meant to be frail and responded in a faint voice. "Oh yes I might just go sit down for a while."

Quickly he led his brother away. While Kallen thought _what the heck just went on?_

The Devil and the Reaper

"Well brother it seems we've found another limitation to your power."

"Indeed and it could be troublesome. We're going to have to be careful around her for a while."

Meanwhile Luthur was grasping the bridge of his nose to stave off an approaching headache. _Naoto Kouzuki's sister. There is no waaay this will become incredibly awkward. _"Sigh."

Lelouch didn't actually have any classes left for the day so the pair of brothers headed across the grass towards the student council building. After entering the atrium they went straight through a pair of double doors and turned to where Lelouchs apartments in the east wing were located.

"Lelouch, Luthur welcome back."

"Hello Nunnaly." the pair chorused at seeing their sibling. Their sister was sitting at her table her blond hair falling around her face. Her closed eues as always turned in their direction. She was wearing a skirt but at the tops of her feet you could see the braces for a limited mobility exoharness. Sayoko the maid was sitting next to her along with a number of origami cranes. Her brown hair and eyes set off by the white of her cap.

"Look at what Sayoko's been teaching me to do!" Nunnally smiled holding up one of her creations.

Luthur smiled and knelt down to her level to enfold the crane in his hands. "That's very nice little bird." He looked closer at her little hands. "I see you've given yourself paper cuts."

"Its no trouble I like doing it." Nunnaly beamed again and for a moment Luthur's face showed genuine happiness. "Sayoko could we go to my room. I would like to read more of those Japanese folk tales about kitsune."

"Of course Nunnally."

Luthur spoke as Sayoko moved around the table. "Oh Sayoko when you're done could you come see me I need your help retrieving a package from my spare office."

Sayoko bowed and helped Nunnally stand up to the faint whisper of servos. She guided her across the room and then closed the door behind them.

The brothers nodded to each other and while Lelouch went to his own room Luthur took a right and headed through the door to Sayoko's quarters. The maid's room was small and fairly ordinary. Although it did have a walk in closet. Luthur went in and after pressing a completely ordinary section of the wall he pulled up a flooring panel and clambered down a ladder. Twenty minutes later he was back in the brother's hideaway pulling equipment out of a storage locker.

"So where are we going?"

Luthur turned and there standing in the training ring was Sayoko. She still wore her maid outfit. Although the set of kunai knives she was sharpening had nothing to do with cooking.

Luthur donned a white mask with yellow eyes and a nosehole. Where a mouth would be there was only seamless bone. The crow on its perch cawed as he looked at his fellow member of the conclave.

"It's time to infiltrate Prince Clovis's Villa."

Authors note

Atop a dark mountaintop a gothic castle of black stone stands. Lightning strikes its soaring towers and eerie light shows from its windows.

Derain: Mwahhahahaha.

Lelouch: You're going to have to pay the electric bill eventually.

Derain: No need to. I'm providing all our power with an electric generator that runs on thickening plot, cliffhangers and OMG moments.

Luthur: An exo harness?

Derain: That's not even science fiction they've already built those in our modern era. You can't run or dance in them but they work. I just gave Nunnally one compact enough to be worn under a dress.

Lelouch: Really? What's with Sayoko being in on the conclave?

Derain: Well it's more plausible than having a ninja for a maid who only reveals she is one by season two. Or the fact that a _ninja_ living in your_ home_ didn't realize what you were up to till late in season one. Come on that was one of the most perplexing things in the whole canon series.

Luther: The most perplexing?

Derain: Okay it was in the top five.

Smoke bomb goes off

Sayoko: The ninja only reveals her skill when it serves a greater purpose.

Lelouch: Like convincing everyone I was a womanizer?

Sayoko: Ninja Vanish.

Smoke bomb goes off again.


	4. Chapter 4

_More dangerous than what we don't know is what we 'know' that isn't so._

Chapter 4

Area 11, Japanese Military research facility 04 'The hidden city'

2010 A.T.B Three months after occupation.

It was a circular table much like one found in the conference room of high rise office building. The total lack of windows the only hint that it was in fact hidden beneath seventy meters of solid rock. Lying in the centre of the table was a loaded pistol.

Luthur sat alone the left sleeve of his shirt folded up. He remained seated as they filed in. A collection of scientists, engineers, one accountant and a lieutenant in the Japanese army. They took their seats. With the death of Colonel Hoshi Luther was both ranking scientist and the senior military officer on base. Luthur let his gaze drift across all of them. Lieutenant Kasade the officer in charge of weapons testing. Doctor Shin a bespectacled young man and master of applied electromagnetic theory. Professor Shian Soto a rather thin woman studied in biology and applied cybernetics who'd promised Luthur a replacement arm. Finally there was Mr Aranaki the government accountant who'd become their de facto logistics officer. Aranaki was the man responsible for concealing the funding of this 'non existent' base. He'd been lucky or unlucky enough to be doing an audit when the invasion started. There were others but it was these four who had to be won over to ensure that this base and everyone on it followed the great plan. Yet it would not be him who would have to convince them.

"Since everyone is here I wish us now to review our actions over the past three months. Since Japans surrender we have managed to rescue over 273 people and brought them to safety here. Many of whom represent the scientific and intellectual elite of our nation as well as their families and dependants. We have secured and concealed all possible entrances to this facility. Through rationing and our 'liberation' of supplies we have enough food, raw materials and other necessities to operate this facility at full capacity for another three years. It is now confirmed that the Brittanians did not locate the Kuroshio base and we will have a more effective means of communicating with them soon."

Luthur paused. "When I ordered operation refuge to retrieve those people I was obeyed because with the major gone I was ranking officer. Although as has been repeatedly pointed out my rank as captain was not awarded for combat but for my success in the Atlas project."

"However despite the success of that and the other operations I know that there is discontent. I know that regardless of what happened to the Prime Minister there are some who believe we should reach out to the government in exile. I know that while the majority of our personnel had their families on base there are others who did not. Also I know of the questions being asked how despite my success I am not well liked. That there is skepticism as to whether the long term plan outlined in the documents distributed to you previously is truly viable. In short considering the total collapse of the government and nation to which we all swore our loyalty some are wondering what should be keeping you here at all. And if my rank in fact has any meaning."

This time it was the accountant who quietly coughed. "No one here would choose to betray Japan. But many of us are doubtful as to whether you can accomplish what you've outlined. Certainly your projected goals over the next few months. Even then the idea that we could carry out all this and avoid discovery is dubious."

"You left out the part where I am not inspiring. You are correct I am not good at inspiring people to do anything other than kill or invent. I motivate scientists through intellect I motivate everyone else through fear and discipline. I know that there are many here who feel personal distaste for me and my general attitude towards subordinates. A central aspect of the plan involves the creation of an inspiring figure to rally the people and create the force necessary to initiate phase one. None of you believe that I or anyone in this room could be that person. You are correct."

At that everyone was surprised Luthur was often dismissive and (even though he tried not to be) condescending to those he considered intellectually inferior to himself. Which constituted nearly everyone on the planet. To hear him admitting to not being able to do something was novel.

Luthur grinned at their expressions "Come comrades none of the things I've accomplished were done by worrying about such trifling things as good social skills. I can admit that about myself. It is not I who will be that individual it is my commanding officer who will provide that rallying point.

"You see while I did add some personal touches to those plans I was not the principle designer. That was the work of my superior who I am about to introduce to you all.

The door at the other end opened and a figure came forward. His legs were covered by a large blanket as he rolled forward in a wheelchair. His arms were barely concealed by a thick cape over what appeared to be a black shirt with a white cravat. His head was encased by a vaguely avian helmet with a reflective purple visor.

"Greetings gentleman I am Zero." His voice was deep and clearly distorted with electronic assistance.

Doctor Shin narrowed his eyes. "Zero as in nothing?"

"An appropriate name as much like this facility I do not exist. You'll forgive me for not rising to greet you. My injuries are not permanent but I will be confined to this chair for some time."

"You are Luthur San's superior?"

"Indeed and for the past three months he and all of you have been following my commands. You stated earlier Mr Aranaki that you believed the goals outlined in the next three months to be unrealistic. That is because you did not account for the availability of this." Zeros right hand moved stiffly and tapped a keypad on his armrest. A document appeared on the projector.

"Twenty million in Brittanian dollars?"

"In addition to that I already possess contacts with the three remaining smuggling operations between China and Japan. That is just the start of my list of resources."

"How could you have obtained these resources?"

"Through theft, murder, blackmail and one extremely illegal chess tournament."

"How can a chess tournament be illegal?"

"Simple it was one where the losing participants died."

They all looked rather shocked at that.

"Understand that everything you have already been shown is well within the realm of possibility. However I cannot afford dissent. Argument about the best way to accomplish a specific goal yes contributions will be welcome. But the continuation of this design requires you all to acknowledge my authority."

"Why should we obey someone we don't even know? Why don't you take off that mask?" Captain Kasade glared at the helmeted figure.

"Do you see that pistol in the centre of the table?"

They all looked at it.

"If you want to see my face you must take out that pistol shoot me and Luthur then remove the mask. However then you will be in charge. And I assume that you will then amaze all the survivors with your strategy for ultimate victory." All was silent. "People are rarely defined for their faces but by their deeds. When Japan is free you may challenge me for my face again. If any of you want the responsibility for freeing this nation to fall upon you take up that gun and kill me now." The passion behind the words was real but also the total lack of fear. Zero was quite prepared to die right there if he could not be assured of their loyalty.

Kasade looked at the helmet for a long time. Then he leaned back in his chair. "Okay say the rest and then we'll see if I shoot you or not."

"The achievement of the great conspiracy which has been outlined to you all will require nothing less than total dedication from all of you. There can be no questioning the ultimate goal to which we strive. It will take years to establish the contacts, resources and recruits necessary. Operational security will be paramount. Even when we finally move to Phase 1 we will have to use seize every advantage and deceive our enemies as much as possible. I did not reveal my presence to you earlier because rank or not I needed my knowledge and skill to be proven to you. Understand my true identity is a secret even greater than this base. You are all listed as dead. Were you to access the government census data I would not be listed at all. There is no trace in any file of my existence as an operative or citizen of Japan. My previous actions in the interests of the Japanese government were known only to Prime Minister Genbu, Former foreign minister Toshi and of course Luthur here."

Through my leadership we shall achieve three things that everyone desires. The liberation of Japan. The destruction of Brittannia and the answer to the question.

Professor Shian narrowed her eyes "And what question is that?"

"Who conspired in the murder of Prime Minister Kururugi?"

Around the table there was only silence.

"Yes I have said it the thing you all know and none of you can prove."

"After the miracle of Itsikushima Brittannia's chances for a swift decisive victory against Japan were dashed. Of course even with that they still possessed sufficient forces to grind Japan down in a conventional war. Which is why Prime Minister Genbu Kururugi ordered for do or die resistance from all military, militia and civilians. As well as scorched earth protocols to be employed against every valuable piece of property or infrastructure the Brittanians might seize. It was quite a moving speech really especially the last part."

"We shall fight them on the beaches, we shall fight them in the streets, in the mountains and upon the water. We will burn but never break. We will die but never yield."

" The populace was galvanized. The Brittanians would have to fight for every meter of ground. The cities would become killing zones. After a few months the EU and Chinese federation would be forced to intervene out of humanitarian concerns for the millions of civilian casualties that would result. Or more likely out of the fact that the total annihilation of Japans industry and mining infrastructure would cut off all the world from a steady supply of sakuradite. It was trading lives for time. But even if this place never existed it would have worked because Brittannia would not have been able to take control of the sakuradite fast enough to bribe the EU and China into backing off."

Zero's helmeted head moved around the table slowly like a cat seeing which mouse would bolt first.

"But this place did exist. And even though it still would have cost millions of lives it would be far less than first believed. Because you already possessed Japans equivalent to the knightmare based on radically different technology. One which could be used to slow Brittanians advance further. While admittedly less graceful it was still superior in terms of combat performance as demonstrated by the massacre of Ichinose where thirty Brittanian knightmares were cut off from command by an extremely powerful EM jammer. Then ambushed and wiped out. In an area meant to be devoid of any effective resistance. Your field test I believe it was. In which Lieutenant Kasade" He nodded respectfully to the soldier sitting across from him. "Proved the effectiveness of the Nobuseri mech beyond any doubt."

Kasade grudgingly nodded back.

"Then two days after receiving orders from the Prime minister to prep your squadron for open deployment and to receive pilots for the rest of your arsenal he kills himself. More in a suicide note he states he did so to force Japans surrender over the hard line stance of his own party. The Government collapses. Effective resistance becomes thrown into disarray. Much of the military forces that don't acknowledge surrender are massacred. And the crown prince and princess of Japan are killed while evacuating to safety because the fall of the Gora defence line lets a Brittanian raiding force through. The emperor dies of a heart attack in shock. All is lost." Zero paused allowing his audience to linger over the memories of the sudden and encompassing catastrophe brought on by Genbu's death.

He then continued his voice now lower.

"The senior military officer of this base leaves along with Luthur to destroy any records that could lead the Brittanians here. He succeeds but dies in the process. Your facility goes dark. Everyone who knew about this location is hiding here or dead. Those left alive in either the military or former government you can't risk contacting.

Because unlike everyone else in Japan you know Genbu would not have killed himself. The murder and subsequent cover up would require not just a single assassin but the collaboration of his security, his cabinet, possibly his speechwriter, any ranking military officer there, numerous heads of Japans business community and certainly the physician on site." At this point Zero's voice became mocking. "A physician whose autopsy and subsequent investigation as to the 'suicide' of the Prime Minister would go on record as one of the shortest performed for the suspect death of a head of government in history_._ If the records were not destroyed shortly after Japans surrender. It could have been any of them. It could have been all of them. And of those still alive they're either deeply involved in the already forming resistance movements, are openly collaborating with Brittania or have fled the country.

You have no one you can trust."

"Fortunately for all of you _**I am**_ no one."

The present 2017 A.T.B Area 11 Primary Settlement. 7.53 PM

Luthur grinned under his mask at the memory of that night. How Lelouch a child with a mechanical arm extension, a wheelchair and a voice modulator had convinced all of them that he was a secret agent of Genbu Kururugi. In fact he suspected that by now most of the conclave did not care whether he really _was_ an agent of Kururugi. Their successes since then spoke for themselves.

A mocking caw broke him out of his reverie.

He and Sayoko were standing on the rooftop of a small office building in the brittianian settlement. The sun was about to set and the sky was approaching the dim purple of twilight. Sayoko was wrapped completely in ninja garb her eyes covered by a delicate mask in the shape of an owls head. She also had what appeared to be armor plates attached to her midriff, shoulders, and back with rings that could be used as handholds. A basketball sized carrybag secured to her back. Luthur wore a suit of closely wound dark grey cloth. His left shoulder covered by a smooth leather pauldron. Both wrists wore metallic gauntlets with geometric patterns done in black. A belt and a pair of harnesses carried a host of specialized tools. His bone mask had been darkened black for this operation and even the reflective lenses of his eyepieces had turned dull. Around them the rooftop played host to two dozen crows all of whom seemed totally untroubled by the humans in their midst.

The caw sounded again and Luthur held out his arm as the biggest of all the crows landed upon it. Dust was the third such bird to bear that name and like with his predecessors he had been bred to be larger. Delicate circuitry was embedded into the avians brain allowing Luthur a degree of control beyond any animal trainer. Its eyes had been replaced with advanced optics capable of both thermal and night vision. As well as some extremely compact infiltration tools placed on its body.

"Tell me Dust, what do you see?" The crow hopped along his raised arm until its robotic eye was level with his own. Before Luthur's eyes a digital recording of the crowborg's flight around the building played. Additional data windows appeared showing signal light, cameras and their arcs of sight, observed patrol routes, recorded radio frequencies and so much more. The amount of data would have been overwhelming for most people. Luthur simply processed and incorporated it into the three dimensional map of the government centre that (to his eyes) floated in the air between him and Sayako.

"Sayoko link your masks computer to mine."

Sayoko fiddled with a small knob on the side of her owl mask and then nodded as she now saw the same thing. A sculpture of light and scrolling numbers invisible to all but the pair of them.

The office block they were standing on lay directly underneath the large motorway crisscrossing the city and heading straight towards the government castle. The turn off from the central motorway entered the buildings secondary vehicle bay on the fifth floor level. The last fifteen meters of that road could be raised like a drawbridge to be flush with the side of the building. The building was made in the style of fortresses of old. On every side of the government structure at ground level there was a thirty meter clear area and no buildings taller than it were permitted for two blocks in any direction. When night fell powerful searchlights would illuminate that clear area. The buildings exterior and superstructure was hardened against missile and heavy artillery fire. It contained military vehicle bays and a VTOL hanger and landing pad. Electronic surveillance covered every single door, ventilation shaft and probable entry point. Access codes were changed at twelve hour intervals. Anyone approaching by road or air would be seen. At the very top of the building stood a large rooftop garden with a villa constructed upon it. Luthur moved his hand in a few haptic gestures and the rest of the building vanished in the holomap. He twisted his wrist and magnification increased on the gardens and the villa. Beneath the mask Luthur's lip twisted in contempt. You have a near unbreachable fortress with state of the art security and where in it did Clovis choose to keep his greatest secret? On an open to the air chamber lying outside the majority of its security.

"Our target is here." The map zoomed in on a studio next to the villa's rooftop entrance. "Clovis's personal studio. We have the access protocols for their external cameras and security doors along the periphery and upper walls. As well as the frequency for the villa security team. However the internal systems change their codes six hours earlier and my source died before he was updated on them. Thus we will have to go up by the outside of the building. Travel through the gardens and into his studio."

"Engagement protocols?"

"We must be unseen. In the event that we are detected the crowborgs will block and overwrite their radio transmission while they are eliminated. As long as they do not see us they get to live. In any case" he tapped a small rotating square and footage from Dust's eyecam replayed. "With the majority of the royal guard dead along with Clovis there are only four men patrolling the villa periphery. Once we are in the room you will maintain security while I use the package to obtain the data. Dust will remain linked to my personal com. The rest of our feathered friends will be under the direction of lord Zero. In fact." Luthur tapped his wrist. "You there my lord?"

Lelouch was sitting before the great computer the eyecams of the crowborgs appearing as a series of small rectangles of data. His hands moved like a pianist dancing over four separate keyboards as he coordinated the information. "I am Luthur. Prepare to launch operation. I will direct the crowborgs into position for observation and data manipulation. Synchronize your watches to five minutes and start count from when I dispatch them from the rooftop." Lelouch typed again a wireframe of the fortress appeared with red dots marking the location of where he needed the birds to go. "Are you synchronized?"

"Yes my Lord."

"Hai."

One more command string and the birds all launched themselves though the air towards the fortress. "Commence countdown."

Luthur and Sayoko went to work. Luthur flung Dust up into the air and watched as the bird flew along with the rest of the flock. He then opened a black case on the ground and pulled what resembled a RPG launcher although it also had a long spool of black cabling tied to the back. Sayoko picked up another one and slung it across her back like a rifle the wound circle of cabling secured to her hip.

Then they waited the timer counting down. At thirty seconds Luthur took the launcher and targeted it at a part of the metal support structure for the section of highway right above them. At ten seconds his mask computer linked up with the launcher to paint a very specific target. Four, three, two, one.

He pulled the trigger and the missile shot upwards pulling the thin cable behind it. One second before hitting the part of the missile just behind the tip broke into four smaller metal prongs attached to thin cables that latched out and then wrapped themselves around the gantry work of the underside. The rest of the missile imbedded itself in the concrete section the metal was holding up and then began to drill itself in further releasing a sticky plastic ooze that clung to the surface. While launching a second and then a third series of minicables with grapnels. Within thirty seconds the spider grapnel was totally secured held in place by thirteen separate anchoring lines. Luthur then removed two other missiles from the box and secured them to his belt. He took the end of the cable and locked it into a black box with footholds. He stood on the box and then secured himself to the cable again. Sayoko walked forward and then wrapped her arms and legs around him. Her hands gripping onto the locking ring at his back. Luthur gestured with his right hand and the motor he was standing began winding up the cable. Pulling them both up into the shadow beneath the overpass.

When they reached the underside Sayoko removed several anchoring rings and then bolted them into the metal and concrete surface using a high powered rivet gun. She attached herself to the securing rings and then lay down horizontally suspended by cables. Luthur had secured himself and removed the second launcher from her back attaching the cable to the rocket kept inside the launcher. He then placed it in her arms as she sighted on al target forty five meters further along the underside of the highway. The part where the drawbridge section to the fortresses entrance began. The back end of the cable was anchored into the ceiling. This time Sayoko carefully adjusted the distance detonation systems in her mask computer before locking on and firing. The missile sped along the underside of the road before it reached the gantry section of the drawbridge. The spider grapnel did its work and soon with Luthur tightening the tension using the motor they had a tight stable line running along the underside.

They secured their waists to the cable and slowly pulled themselves along the underside of the highway. When they finally reached the edge of the drawbridge they both anchored themselves a second time. Then Luthur took a small metal rod the size of a pencil from one of his bags. He flicked a switch and its end glowed faint green. He then pushed that end into the black cable. There was a faint hissing. Then they both watched as the cable began to smoke along its length. Luthur severed the cable from the anchor and they both watched as it fell away the rope breaking apart as the chemical reactions within it turned it all into mush. Luthur reached up and tapped his mask. "Lelouch our tracks are covered we are in position on the under edge of the drawbridge."

Lelouch sat at the console his mind analyzing every pattern. One of the crows had flown into the entrance bay and was standing right near the door controls. It flared its right wing and if anyone had been looking closely they would have seen a short black painted antennae pointing from its body at the control. "Luthur I will override the drawbridge in twenty seconds after I call the mark. The Brittanians will not activate their external searchlights for twelve more minutes. I can delay that if necessary but I'd prefer it if you could reach the roof and exfiltrate before that. Hide in the shadow of the gantry edge as it rises. Once you secure the grapnel to the roof signal me. Otherwise I will arrange a stalling of the bridge before it becomes flush with the external wall."

"Confirmed moving to position." Luthur nodded at Sayoko and the pair of them double checked the ties on their launchers and gear before they disconnected their securing hooks and hauled themselves hand over hand to the shadowed metal edge of the bridge. "In position."

Lelouch tapped out another activation signal and the device installed into the crow connected with the control system. A progress bar flashed across the screen in two seconds. He connected the door raising command to the computers clock and set it for twenty seconds. The bird took flight for the doors. He tapped the key. "Mark."

Luthur and Sayoko tightened their grip as the main doors of the fortress closed and soon the drawbridge slowly began to rise upwards to the sound of heavy chains and hissing hydraulics. When it was halfway up they pulled themselves over onto the end of the bridge. Balancing himself Luthur removed the first of the rockets on his belt. Sayoko connected her cable to it and then Luthur loaded. He pointed it up at the very edge of the building and fired. Through the crowborgs eyes Luthur tracked the missiles progress as it shot up the wall then over the edge. It turned and dug into the pavement on the garden walk. The warhead launching its tether lines. Still he waited until Luthur confirmed it.

"My Lord the grapnel is secure." Again Luthur bound himself to the motor and Sayoko held on as they were pulled straight up the side of the building. Their feet taking off five seconds before the bridge became flush with the wall.

They hauled themselves over the edge as the searchlights finally activated. But the villa's gardens remained in darkness. Sayoko tapped a small button on the spider grapnel and the lines began to smoke and fall apart. She then picked up the missile and packed it away. Luthur grinned as he saw sitting on a tree branch one of the crowborgs. He gave it a brief wave.

"Very nice Luthur I am inputting data of the guards positions into your optics." Pillars of digital light shot into the sky revealing the position of the guards as detected by the crowborgs.

Luthur turned to Sayoko and gestured towards the villa. As one they moved through the elegant gardens. Back at his console Lelouch felt a stab of memory at the sight of Clovis's recreation of his former home. Twice Luthur and Sayoko hid beneath hedges or lay flat to the ground as the security passed close to their position. A third time they were about to strangle a guard before a flock of crows diverted the soldiers attention. By the time they finally crossed the gardens twilight had given way to true night. Clovis's studio connected onto a balcony on the second floor of his villa. No grapnel was required this time. Luthur simply gave Sayoko a boost onto the railing before he launched his extending arm and pulled himself up.

The door was not even locked. The inside of Clovis studio contained a dozen paintings lying against the wall. There was another lying half complete upon an easel. Several cabinets containing the princes art supplies lined the wall. While a central worktable with some picture frames was in the centre.

"It's beautiful." Luthur turned at Sayoko's comment she was looking at a portrait of a young Lelouch and his little sister.

"Yes it is. It is not what we seek."

"So where is that?" Luthur pointed to a large portrait of Clovis.

"Behind a portrait of himself how very original." Sayoko handed him the small bag containing Clovis's head.

Luthur huffed in amusement as he approached it. Sayoko moved by the door to stand guard. All was silence as Luthur paused before the painting. He concentrated seeking to access the memories he'd torn from the guard captain. He reached out and pressed a small stud in the filigree of the portraits frame. The painting swung out from the wall. Behind it was a small safe. Luther passed his hand over a patch of wall above the safe. His eye began scanning until it showed him a computer image of the electronic device behind the plaster. He moved his face close to the receiver in the wall. "Computer replay voiceprint track Two two Dash ZXR Seven Five." The voice of the dead prince played out. "Clovis Vi Brittania."

There was a click and a panel in the wall slid back. Luthur opened a bag and held Clovis's head up to the scanner while his right hand held the eye open.

"Faceprint accepted retinal scan accepted." The safe itself moved sideways in the wall.

Behind it was the real prize. Luthur reached in and pulled out a metal container. Within lay a series of document folders and a glass case containing two flash drives one red, one black.

"Luthur a guard approaches fifteen seconds till the door." Sayoko's whisper could have been a shout over their com link. Luther took the box and placed it behind a portrait that was not mounted. Ten seconds. He replayed the voiceprint and swung the portrait back as the safe closed. Four seconds. The head was dropped into a waste basket. One second.

The guard entered the room he flicked a switch and began a circuit of the room. Luthur had simply ducked behind a painting in the corner. Sayoko lay in wait on the other side of one of the equipment drawers. The soldier looked around the room and then began walking in her direction. In seven meters he would see her. Luthur slid from his hiding place and followed the slow progress of the guard. Moving in sync with his footsteps utterly silent. The guard was five meters away and Luthur flexed his hands. The guard was three meters. Luthur reached his hands out. Suddenly there was a tapping at the window and the guard stopped and turned to his right. Then right around. There was nothing there. Only a bird at the window. He looked around the equipment drawers and found nothing. He turned and exited the room. Twenty seconds after leaving Luthur lowered himself from where he'd been clinging to the underneath of the worktable. Sayoko pushed open the cabinet door she'd been lying in.

It didn't take long. Luthur took out the documents and held them up long enough for his optic cameras to copy the information. The process took five minutes. Then he placed them in the box and removed the USB discs. He tapped his right gauntlet and a small access port opened up. He placed the red one in first.

Twenty seconds later he received a call from Lelouch. "Alright it's a complete digital history of his experiments whatever they may have been. We'll review later. Second drive."

Luthur removed the red drive and inserted the black one. A flash of memory rose up. He saw an image of the commander's gloved hand holding this drive handing it to prince Clovis. The knowledge that the act of creating what was on this drive was an act of treason itself. "Lord Zero?"

Luthur was worried and asked again after a few seconds. "My Lord what do you see?"  
Over the radio came a gasp of pure awe. "Oh my god. So that's how he was able to conceal it so well."

"My Lord?"

"Luthur change of plans take both of the drives back with you. Seal up and leave. I will prepare to arrange your exit. Get to the east edge of the roof in six minutes."

"Yes my Lord. Sayoko we're gone." Luthur retrieved Clovis's head and put it back in a bag.

They journeyed back across the garden. Faster this time as Lelouch had the crowborgs running distraction for the guards. When they reached the rooftop Luthur took the second missile from his belt while Sayoko readied her launcher. She attached the extra long cord to the missile while Luthur bolted the other end to the rooftop. She fired. This grapnel was more powerful and traveled a full eighty seven meters before anchoring to the rooftop of a building below. Then the searchlights and external lights all around the castle turned off. Lelouchs voice came over the com. "Go now."

Luthur and Sayoko clamped onto the line and sailed down in utter darkness and away from the fortress.

"My Lord what was on that drive?" Luthur asked as Sayoko burned the rope into ash.

"Hahaha. Oh my brother it's something so great I'll have to tell you in person." Lelouch's voice sounded sinisterly gleeful.

Luthur turned back to Sayoko and nodded. Then like the wraiths they were they vanished from sight.

Authors Note.

Derain: Cybernetic crows! Fear the mad science fear it.

Lelouch: So you let the guard live.

Luthur: I did say if he saw us he would die.

Derain: Oh don't worry Lelouch you'll get to see Luthur engage in gory violence soon enough.

Luthur: Yeah.

Derain: And also more unethical experimentation.

Luther: Awesome.

Derain: And possibly a hint at Lelouch's love interest.

Lelouch: Yes well we. Wait what?

Sayoko: I knew it! Soon the womanizing will begin.

Lelouch: No it will not begin, hang on a moment.

Derain: (Pulls a switch and vanishes down a trapdoor.) Mwahahahaha.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimatron activate.

I do not own code geass or for that matter darksiders which while not used as a crossover I do take a lot of visual ideas from.

_Knowledge is power. Guard it well._

Chapter 5

The Conclave

They met again in the chamber below the school. Zero sat at the conference table his cloak wrapped around himself. Luthur handed Lelouch the two drives then he and Sayoko took their own seats. The lights dimmed. To any observer it would have appeared there were three people sitting in the dark. But through the digital illusions of their visors the room was bathed in light and the holographic images of their fellows sat in the empty chairs. The total of individuals sitting at the table was now thirteen. Every one of the figures was in disguise. Although some were wearing complete costumes while the others had settled for simple masks while still wearing business suits, lab coats or ordinary clothing.

Secrecy was the lifeblood of this group of soldiers and scientists dedicated to war with Brittania. For they were also the leadership of the most powerful organized crime syndicate in the pacific. The truth was that a majority of those who supported the conclaves grand strategy had no idea what they were really a part of. In fact there were thousands of people working in legitimate businesses owned by the conclave who didn't even know there was anything illegal going on at all. But when the Brittanians created a state of second class citizenship for the numbers of its conquered areas it also created the conditions for an explosion of a black market. Not getting enough medicine in the ghetto? We know someone who can get you high grade antibiotics. Hey the Brits aren't hiring numbers? Well there is paying work to be had if you don't mind breaking some of their laws. Want to get good quality clothing not these rags that are all they'll let you buy? Well my friend I know some people, who know some people who rob some people.

Luthur was the only one amongst them whose persona was actually well known. He'd established a reputation as a mercenary and gun runner for any resistance group in the Areas. Or for that matter for any local crime groups who were resisting their Brittanian counterparts attempts to expand in the wake of Brittania's conquest. Luthur and his 'mercenaries' had been responsible for keeping the triads and other Asian crime groups in control while the Brittanian crime organizations (sometimes with help from the Brittanian police) had tried to bring them down. He had many names. In Japan he was Shinigami, In Indonesia the boatman, In New Zealand the pale rider and so on. When they'd first begun weapons had been the only major thing they had to sell. The profits from Luthur's actions throughout the areas had allowed them to expand. Many of their criminal enterprises acting as fronts for supporting the war. Trade in smuggled medicine concealing them stockpiling it for their own use. Trade in exotic animals concealing their need for experimental subjects. Corruption of Brittanian officials to facilitate crime that enabled them to gain information on military movements. The disappearances of thousands of people who were presumed dead. When they were really being made ready for war. And of course the trade in weapons making it easy for them to gain influence and infiltrate resistance groups around the world. Even in Africa and the Middle East people bargained with the conclave albeit unknowingly.

In fact there were only a few criminal areas they avoided. Illegal drugs because that was just too obvious a source of revenue for terrorist organisations. And of course those areas of the sex trade that no one with anything resembling a soul would want to touch. The fact that they were an organized crime syndicate was also the best way to conceal themselves. Over the years many operations had been exposed. People working for them arrested. But none of the people in the upper tiers of the organization had been compromised. Once some had been captured but they had committed suicide rather than reveal what they truly knew. Even if the Brittanians did realize that so many of these crime groups were in fact affiliated the idea that they would be working to overthrow Brittanian control would not occur. Organised crime does not tend to want to overthrow the status quo. After all why would a criminal organization that profited off of the inequality of Brittania's policies want to destroy the society that allowed them to profit?

A rotating symbol of a distorted silver trident lay at the centre of the table. Zero spoke over the data link. "This meeting of the conclave of the dead is now in effect. As it is being held through transmission and not through a direct meeting we shall refer to each other only by our codenames and our faces will be concealed. Nor shall the exact location or true designation of conclave resources or personnel be discussed except in coded phrases. The only absence noted is War who I understand is carrying out aggressive negotiations with foreign pharmaceutical contractors." Translation he is killing large amounts of Brittanian refrain dealers and destroying their property.

A man in black uniform and a silver helm spoke first.

"Lord Zero what is the purpose of this meeting?"

"The purpose Lord of Blades is to discuss the activation of Phase 1 within the next forty eight hours."

The table reacted to this with silence. Although they were probably having furious private conversations with each other over different channels.

Zero held his hand up.

"Before you object my decision to accelerate the schedule is based on the acquisition of valuable information and physical resources resulting from the Shinjuku incident. Death shall provide you now with a report on those events."

Luthur spoke. "We have long suspected that the viceroy of area Eleven has been working on a secret project involving the creation of a chemical gas weapon. We never could find any evidence of large scale manufacture so we assumed it was still in the development phase. However it seems that for the first time Clovis managed to actually pull a march on us. An independent group stole a large container connected to this project which Clovis attempted to retrieve under the cover of 'urban renewal.' However the weapon was not a chemical gas weapon of any kind. Yet it was certainly something worth killing for. I will state at this time that I am classifying the exact nature of what we found in that container in the Black Vault. But with the aid of what we obtained we were able to eliminate a detachment of the royal guard sent to retrieve it. I interrogated their commander … thoroughly." Even separated by kilometers the members of the conclave felt the ambient temperature drop at those words. "We realized Clovis intended to completely 'renew' the area to conceal his work. So we rallied the resistance fighters and launched a counter offensive." Visual data from the battle began to play on the large hologram in the tables centre. "We were successful in defeating Clovis's forces. However he had a weapon in reserve." The camera changed to a recording of the Lancelot blocking fire with its energy shields before wiping out Luthurs team. "It seems Prince Schniezels ASEEC team was in the area and provided assistance. In the form of what we can confirm is a seventh generation Knightmare frame. That utilizes some form of energy shield that is fitted into the frames forearms. This frame also operates on the concept of high agility as shown here." The frame executed an acrobatic move that spin kicked another knightmares head off. "Naturally we wish to obtain as much data on this new technology as we can but since the ASEEC is independent of any agency in Area 11 that will be difficult."

"It defeated us swiftly however Lord Zero and I escaped. We then infiltrated the G-1 Base where we forced him to call for a ceasefire and learned valuable information regarding his little project. Then we killed him. And also took his head." At this Sayoko dropped the head in question onto the table.

"Using the information I extracted from Clovis and his lieutenant the Talon and I" Luthur gestured towards Sayoko in her owl mask. "Infiltrated the central government building to retrieve his personal records on the work his secret division was really doing."

Luthur nodded to Zero who took up the thread of the conversation.

"From what we can see there were several projects all vaguely related to each other. One of which we are prepared to discuss in summary. They had been working on a direct neural interface unit and had a completed version of the system ready for testing."

At that point the man in a labcoat and wearing a mask that had the features of a human face made from clockwork spoke up. "Really?"

"Indeed when you're willing to carry out medical experimentation on live, sentient, non consenting human test subjects repeatedly you can work out the kinks faster. The document lists a number of negative results before they got it working properly."

The mask hid the disgust that was probably playing over clockworks face.

"Yes it is indeed distasteful but there is no reason we cannot use this information. I will send you a complete listing of the research and the completed versions by courier."

"Understanding the scope of Clovis's experiments I believe I am justified in asking for the rest to be classified in the black vault. The nature of this device is so explosive that I believe we must have full verification of its limits and safety before we can discuss any further use of it. As I require the confirmation of a third member of our conclave to sustain the classification I shall share the data with one of you but it must be done in person."

They nodded and typed in commands at their own consoles showing by vote their agreement to a provisional classification of the highest secrecy.

"That done let us move on to the second drive which is related to how despite our penetration of Area 11 Clovis was still able to conceal these travesties from us.

The thing is Clovis was not worried about us or any resistance group finding out about it. He was terrified of his own family or the emperor finding out about it. So if you're doing something so illegal why not commit a further illegality to keep it hidden?

Clovis wanted a way to access and if necessary alter the government computer networks in Area Eleven. Police records, surveillance, military memos, security clearances, economic census all of it. But he wanted a way that did not reveal him using his priority access. For one use of his executive access to cover his tracks could be traced to him. Second if someone in the government was investigating him he could find the reach of that access curtailed at least in area eleven. So he went to his head of his royal guard Colonel Arthur Helbrent. A man who was utterly loyal to Clovis for rescuing him from dishonour and a lifetime of half pay. Who also once upon a time held the rank of colonel in the Brittanian E.S.D." The electronic security division. The group in the department of defence whose job it was to protect Brittannia's government and military computer networks from cyber attack.

"There is a program placed into the Area Eleven network using Clovis's executive access. It can only be activated using a digital encryption key created from Clovis biometric data. In other words his voice, his face and his retinas. When activated it immediately grants the user automatic priority access to anything that the program has linked itself to. However here's the trick. We all know that sooner or later back door access can be found simply by following the pattern of repeated 'odd' accesses or even the data trail of where information has been going to. Each time the program is used it uploads itself to a different location in the network. Second the website on the general public net that you use to gain access also changes after each use. The new website is determined using a randomizer program that exists only in the USB disk. Finally the USB disc contains the rest of the code that makes the program work. After the user disconnects the program deletes a portion of its own code so that it cannot be fully activated. The missing piece is found on the USB. If someone trolling through the network even found the program it couldn't do anything but display an error message. It's a secret door that changes location with each use."

Another member of the conlclave wearing a simple domino mask spoke up."Good grief creating something like that is tantamount to treason. Son or no Clovis could face imprisonment for such an utter violation of Brittanian security."

"Yes but since the only two people responsible for it are dead they're not much chance of it happening now. Understand though that it is region specific. If we were to try to access police records for New Jersey in Mainland Brittania it would trip alerts. Also most military bases have their own closed networks. Based on these advantages I believe that we can successfully initiate phase one. In fact I have already found a small group who will be excellent for forming the public face of our organisation. I intend to approach them tomorrow."

It was then that the crowmother spoke up. She was their head of intelligence gathering in area 11. The beaked mask over her head covered the face of a beautiful woman who had once been known as one of Japans foremost models. A fact that her close fitting feathered gown threw into stark relief.

"I agree however I believe we should wait at least one month. The purebloods have made their move." There was slight amusement at that. The purebloods were a racist faction in the Brittanian military who the conclave had been silently supporting. The short sighted idiots discrimination against honorary Brittanians only helped the conclave in discouraging anyone from joining the Brittanians side. If it weren't for the conclave setting up situations that made them look good they'd be nowhere near as influential as they were.

"What do you mean?"

"They are going to seize power and completely put a stop to the honorary Brittanian system in Japan."

The lord of Blades spoke up at that.

"Hold on. While them doing that would be a huge help to us I don't see any scenario where they could pull that off."

"Even if it is revealed that it was an honorary Brittanian soldier who murdered the prince?"

Everyone looked surprised at the thought the Purists would go that far.

"We've confirmed this through three sources. Including one of the higher ranking ones who likes to frequent our 'entertainment' businesses. (Translation a Brittanian whose racism did not extend to Japanese prostitutes.) A small dose of loquac in his drink let us learn a great deal. They're going to find some forthright example of an honest honorary Brittanian and make him the scapegoat. And before you ask I'm aware that the regular Brittanian courts would never accept whatever flimsy evidence they're going to bring up. Which is why they're going to impanel a special tribunal under Margrave Jeremiah to see 'justice' is done. In the state of emergency they'll be able to get away with it. In fact by now they may have already detained Bartley and anyone else who could stop them on suspicion of their failure to protect the prince"

Zero tapped his gloved fingers on the table. "Hmm what are you suggesting?"

"I suggest let them hang this idiot. The damage they'll create by pushing through their racist agenda even if it only lasts until a replacement viceroy arrives will be invaluable. All the more when we reveal we killed Clovis because that will send the message that it does not matter how hard you might work for Brittania. It will send a message that regardless of your loyalty they will betray you without a moments thought. It will discourage those who might consider becoming honorary brittanians. As well as open up possibilities for recruiting those who currently are as sources."

"Let the purists run riot for one month. One month while we get the pieces in place. Then we reveal the truth and hit them with a public relation catastrophe that will resonate beyond Japan."

Zero remained motionless while he considered the Crowmothers proposal. If he was honest with himself the idea of moving now was perhaps related to an earnest desire to see the open war with Brittanian finally begin. The Crowmother was right however. Letting the purists have their way would make it all the easier to get the people on their side. "Very well one month. As soon as we find out who the victim is we should prepare a brief so we can later label them as a martyr to Brittanian corruption. I still intend to make contact with Ohgi's group however. If nothing else I get more time to win them over. In the meantime I want you to prepare our second tier 'consultants' in the Japanese resistance groups for activation.

The rest of the meeting was concerned with the logistics and other minutae of organizing their revolt. As well as establishing a special unit under the crowmother to exploit the information goldmine offered by Clovis's back door.

When they were done Zero closed the meeting. "Very well barring any other unforeseen events we will begin phase 1 in one month. You all have your assignments." He paused as if imparting words of great significance. "Behold we are all dead." As one the other members answered. "And the dead are without number."

The meeting ended.

The Queen and the Council

The next morning Kallen Stadtfield was looking nervous as she was led into the student council room. In this case it wasn't feigned there was something just a bit frightening about Milly's enthusiasm. In fact she still wasn't sure how the Ashford heir had managed to get her there. In the centre of the room was a long trestle table piled with fruit, sandwiches, finger food and a large bowl of fruit punch.

"So how about it?" Milly asked.

"What?" Kallen hadn't caught the question.

"Do you wanna join the student council? Most of the other clubs are more physically inclined, so you might not be able to participate. So you could …" Milly noticed Kallen shift her attention to the two figures walking into the room. Milly leapt between them threw her arms out and grabbed them by the necks. Which was very impressive considering how huge one of them was. "Ah ha and the last two members arrive." The exuberant school president exclaimed as she brought Lelouch and his mountain of a brother to their knees. "Behold Lelouch Lamplerouge our vice president. As well as his older brother Luthur the Bouncer."

The last word puzzled Kallen. As the giant rose to his feet Milly gave him a hug before continuing. "Luthur's away on business but he likes to be involved whenever he's here so we made him the bouncer. Fits him rather well."

Rivalz spoke up "Shirley's the treasurer, Nina's the reporter and I'm the secretary. Oh hello Nunnaly."

Kallen turned around and a young girl with long brown hair and closed eyes walked in. She was being guided by a Japanese maid. Kallen listened to a faint whirring sound as she walked. As she got closer you could see what looked like a thin metal circlet across her forehead and hidden by her hair.

Luthur smiled and took the girls hand. "Yes this is our little sister Nunnally."

Nunnally turned her head in Kallens direction but her eyes were still closed. "Hello." As she bowed that whirring sound came on again.

Luthur noticed Kallen's confusion. "She's blind and has spinal injuries. She's wearing a custom support frame under the dress. It helps her walk."

Nunnally smiles. "He gets evasive when I ask how much it cost." While they were talking Lelouch was having some kind of argument with Rivalz who was waving a champagne bottle around.

Luthur nodded and led Kallen back towards the bar. "Well that's everyone. Would you like some punch?" Kallen followed him over to the table. As Luther grabbed the silver ladle from the bowl he turned his head "What are they doing?" Kallen turned around in time to see a champagne cork fly right at her head. She took the hit and stumbled backwards. Into Luthur. Luther slipped and went down his hand grabbing the edge of the punch bowl which upended over the pair of them.

"Great" Kallen grumbled as she fished strawberries out of her hair.

The Reaper and the Queen

Kallen sighed as the water rushed over her. Having a nice shower felt good even if it was because of a few klutzy brittanians. She tensed up when she heard the door open.

"I've brought you some fresh clothes. When you're done knock on the door. I need to shower as well." Luthur had had to remove his shirt it was so soaked. He set the clothes down near the shower. They were set of Lelouchs spare clothes. Black pants with a white shirt and a black vest with red trim.

Kallen thought about him as she washed herself. _Delay him _"Did you have to go all the way to the dorm for this stuff?"

"No my brother and sister live here in the council building. I stay here when I'm in the country. It's easier for them than staying in an empty house while I'm away."

"Oh. Could you hand me my purse just over there."

"Of course."

As he reached in with the purse she grabbed his wrist with her left hand while the right seized the purse flipping it over and pressing a small button. A hidden blade snapped out. Though she winced at the strength of his arm. _It's like grabbing a tree branch._

"What did you mean earlier about Shinjuku?" Kallen was not buying that explanation from before it had seemed too rushed.

"What I said. You should not ask about it."

Her hand tightened on the handle of the blade. Then the phone rang.

"Don't answer that." Kallen felt his muscles shift slightly under her fingers.

"If I don't answer it someone will come in."

"Alright pick it up."

Luther reached out his right arm and pulled the phone close to his ear. "Hmm. Yes she is here. Its for you."

"Q-1 This is K-1 I have someone who wants to talk to you." The deep voice of the bandaged man echoed over the phone. To be replaced immediately by another voice.

"Glad to see you're alive Q-1"

"Who are you?"

"It's time to meet. Be at Tokyo tower at 5 PM bring your friends." The caller hung up.

Back in her room Sayoko finished using the small playback device in her hand and then set it to delete memory.

"How did you arrange that ceasefire order? Hey answer me." She pulled on the phone cord as if she could drag the voice back into conversation. Unknowingly snagging the curtain as she moved.

"Ceasefire order? It sounds like you play some dangerous games."

Kallen's fury immediately faded. "Uhhmm."

"Let me guess you play strategy games don't you? Something online?"

Kallen kept her head down now sounding convincingly meek. "Yeah you've got me." Although from that angle she could see the musculature of his chest and abdomen. _Damn he is built._

"I play those too although I like the older tabletop versions with the painted models. Maybe we should have a game sometime. By the way you do know I can see you right?"

Her head turned up to meet his own. His face showed no expression but he was looking right at her. Totally. Naked. Body. She yanked the curtain tight and huddled down in embarrassment. Luthur's only thought at that moment was _she has good muscle tone._

"You could have looked away."

Luthurs kept his voice low. "You could have too. By the way you might need to use more shampoo. Your hair smells of strawberries." His voice was almost whimsical.

Kallen's face got even redder and she said nothing.

"I promise I won't tell anyone."

Luthur turned and walked out thinking _very, very good muscle tone._

When Kallen finally finished showering she came out to where the others were watching the television. Luthur had flung a towel over himself which barely covered his shoulders.

Kallen looked away before it became obvious she was paying attention to his chest. She needn't have bothered everyone's eyes were locked on the TV screen. Except Milly who was taking the opportunity to quietly snap photos of Luthur without his shirt.

On the television Margrave Jeremiah was giving a press conference to a crowd of reporters. The flash of cameras flinging shadows behind him.

"My people we have found the one responsible for murdering our beloved prince. An Eleven who we welcomed into our arms as an honorary Brittanian The honorary Brittanian Suzaku Kururugi." Then the image changed to show a straight jacketed Suzaku in a jail cell before moving back to Jeremiah.

Luthur turned to Lelouch and spoke in German

"Well I believe we've discovered a flaw in our otherwise brilliant plan."

The Lady

**Unknown Location**

A young woman behind a veil sat next to a telephone in a shadowed room. Her features carefully hidden. The phone rang. She waited for it to ring four times. Then it stopped. When it rang again she picked up immediately. "Yes."

"Lady Kami. It is Ohgi. I have a report."

"Speak."

"It's him the one from Shinjiku he's made contact with us. He wishes to arrange a meeting this afternoon."

"Attend the meeting I will be nearby. If events proceed I shall meet him myself."

"Lady Kami why?"

"If this is a trap it is one baited with the death of a Brittanian prince. They are nowhere near that desperate. I do not consider it an incredible gamble if it is worth meeting the one responsible for saving you all."

Authors note.

Derain: Behold the labyrinthine conspiracy of Zero mwhahahah. We can see how the conclave subscribes to the KISS principle when it comes to secrecy. What's the best way to stop your subordinates from betraying your secrets? Make sure they don't know any of them.

Kallen: Yeah but Suzaku being the scapegoat messes things up.

Derain: What you didn't think every single plan of theirs was going to work without a hitch did you? One of the reasons they've gotten this far is because of their ability to adapt or cut their losses when their plans go out the window.

Luthur: One thing 'Lady Kami'? I thought I was the only Central OC character in this fic.

Derain: Oh but you are. Heheheheh

Luthur: Awesome. Wait a minute.

Lelouch: Why do I feel a sense of utter dread?


	6. Chapter 6

I invoke the powers of the great disclaimer. I do not own code Geass or anything else that may be indirectly referenced in this story.

_If you sup with the devil bring a long handed spoon to the feast_.

Chapter 6

The Reaper

In the chamber below Luthur prepared himself. His personal power armour was a work of art as much function. His arms and legs were encased in plating that looked to be composed of closely packed bones painted a deep dark red. His chest appeared wrapped in a dense ribcage. A row of blue lights ran down the armours spine to where a solid circle of steel wrapped his hips. In the gaps between the armour plates the synthetic black muscle of its frame was covered by a Kevlar weaved skin that looked like the pale flesh of a corpse. His left shoulder was covered with a shaped guard made of layered plates that resembled samurai armour. He attached a slightly different armour piece to his left synthetic arm. The left arm plating was thicker and had a number of raised metal bolts sticking out. Suddenly the bolts sank into the surface penetrating into the structure of the robotic limb beneath and anchoring it directly into the armour systems. Luthur hissed as he felt the effects of phantom limb syndrome. His mind creating the illusion that he could feel the cold metal rods inserted into his synthetic flesh. When it was done he held up and flexed the power armour's fingers. The back of his gauntlets were also covered with an articulated plate in the shape of finger bones tipped with black talons of monomolecular sharpened titanium.

Metal plates covered the outer sides of his upper legs and clamped to them were a pair of enormous hand scythes the blades coloured black but with intricate patterning along the hafts and Japanese script along the blades. A heavy pistol with a barrel as long as a man's forearm was also clamped to the right plate. Finally he donned his helmet. His real hair had been tied back as he pulled the death mask onto his face. Like his light armour it resembled a mask of bone without a mouth its eyes sophisticated yellow cameras. The fake hair on its head seemed to drink in light. Falling around the sides of the helm like a cowl.

He raised his arms and lowered them then engaged in a series of exercises to test its mobility. Satisfied he grabbed a large black cloak that he draped over himself resembling nothing more than a moving shadow. Dust detached himself from his roost and flew down perching on his shoulderpad. With the armour on he stood nearly 2 meters tall.

He tapped the side of his head. "Lord Zero I am preparing to depart for the weapons trade. I will be dealing with a few other issues on the way."

"Excellent I've already prepared for the meeting with our friends. We've sent a message to the conclave regarding the change in schedule?"

"Yes my Lord. They have confirmed receipt of the order. I expect they will bring it up at the next meeting but even the most stubborn will agree that letting Suzaku be the scapegoat could be politically awkward later on. The second tier is ready to launch 'spontaneous' attacks in response to our operation tonight."

"Excellent and Clovis's head?"

"We have completed a full digital map of his facial structure, retinal prints and all other necessary biological data. His head is no longer needed to achieve access."

"Very well proceed with your operation I will see you this evening Brother."

Luthur opened the large bay door and flung Dust into the air before him. As the crow sailed down the passage Luthur ran after it. His speed was greater than someone that heavy should be capable of and as he ran down the darkened tunnel he laughed. With the pure joy of being able to run faster than anyone.

The Orange

Jeremiah face was a picture of scorn set upon the young man tied to the table in front of him. He held no personal grudge against the lad but the needs of the purists and his own ambition came paramount to one mans life. "We know you did it. We matched the bullet that killed Clovis to this gun." He flung a plastic bag containing a standard issue pistol onto the table. "Your gun private Kururugi."

"I'm telling you I've never seen that gun before in my life. Why would I kill the viceroy?"

"You're the son of Japan's last prime minister your motive is clear. Confess your crime and you'll be tried as if you were a Brittanian not some filthy eleven."

Suzaku tried to stand. "You're making a mistake I'm telling you." He never finished because then he was kicked to the floor and clubbed into submission.

Jeremiah looked on without pity. _With Bartley gone this is the final piece to complete my plan._ In truth considering how much evidence could be pulled up to prove Suzaku's innocence he had considered using some other soldier as the sacrifice. In the end though the boy's status as Genbu Kururugi's son made him too perfect as a political tool.

The Reaper.

Upon finishing his run Luthur turned right at the end of the tunnel. He then clambered into a Medium truck with darkened cab windows. He picked up a phone and typed in two messages.

The first read. S. DM will pick you to swap drivers at Shin underpass. 1600

The second read. J bring K to 2nd meeting point after tradeoff. Remember the bag.

The phone blinked twice to signal dispatch of the messages. Then Luthur raised the windows and pulled out into the tunnels.

His path was different leading him through dark passages where other cargo doors had to be opened. The headlights blinking off computer monitors covered with dust jackets.

Eventually the truck emerged under the shadow of a highway and Luthur killed the lights. This one lay near the old area of the slums and the still functioning industrial centre of the city. As such it was not destroyed but neither was it showing sign of much recent maintenance. Luthur waited in the shadows before typing a single letter on the phone and messaging. In the dim light a torch light flashed three times. Luthur flashed his headlights back twice. A single man walked up towards the truck. He was Japanese bald and the tattoos on his arm proclaimed him as a member of the Mad seventy seven one of the few surviving yakuza gangs in Tokyo.

Luthur moved to the other side of the cab as the yakuza climbed in He acknowledged him with a nod. "Saito."

The other nodded back "Shinigami San."

"You will drive us to the warehouse at 87 Kenos Street I will be in the back of the cabin."

Luthur then moved to the back of the truck he did not feel the need to have small talk with Saito.

The vehicle was identical to that of thousands moving cross the country. With Saito driving carefully they took an uneventful route until they went across the edge of the Saitama ghetto. Saito slammed the brakes as a chatter of assault gun fire hit the empty road ahead of them. There were about twelve men only half of them with rifles. The others were wielding axes that looked to have been made from junk. "Lord Shinigami should I run these idiots down?"

Luthur gave serious consideration to the point but killing them or simply driving by would create a disturbance. He doubted the Brittanians would give a damn but it would maintain security longer if he persuaded the idiots to keep quiet.

"No Saito if I went around killing everyone less intelligent then myself there wouldn't be many people left. I will deal with this."

The idiots started shouting louder and then Luthur opened the door of the cab. The terrorists froze though the black cloak concealed much the mask was unmistakable. Only one person in Japan wore that distinctive mask. Because the one criminal who'd tried to cash in on Shinigami's reputation by wearing it had become the popular figure of horror stories speculating just how Death had been able to send his victims body parts through the postal service without anyone finding out. Or how he had then fed the fools partners in crime, burgers made from the victims buttocks. The leaders face bore an expression torn between outright horror and abject apologeticness. Before he and all the others fell to their knees and pushed their heads into the ground. "Forgive us Shinigami we had no idea it was you."

"Of course not if you had been intentionally seeking to waste my time I would have already killed you." The men made the faint sound of mice being stepped on. "However I have no interest in killing men so determined to wage war on Brittania. So I shall forget this ever happened provided that all of you do as well. Should I meet any police today and they seek me because of you talking about it then I may remember you all."

"Yes Shinigami." If those men kept pushing their heads any lower they'd crack the concrete.

The door closed and the truck rambled on. Saito cleared his throat as they drove. "They are still kneeling. How long do you think they'll keep it up?"

"Probably until the blood flow to the brains makes them fall over. Perhaps I overdid it?" Dust cawed mockingly. "What am I saying? Of course not."

The Queen and the Lady

Kallen and the others walked through the damaged Tokyo tower. The Brittanians hadn't really repaired it. Just simply converted the undamaged section into a museum to celebrate their glorious victory over area Eleven. She checked her watch it was still five minutes until this zero was meant to meet them. As she walked by an exhibit she fought the urge to choke as the auto recording discussed how the Brittanians invasion "Opened this unenlightened nations eyes to its true place in world affairs." _Unenlightened my arse you miserable little pre recorded twit._ It was funny she noted, how the exhibit seemed to avoid mentioning the battle of Itsikushima. Listening to all this you'd think Brittania just had to look at the Japanese harshly before everyone gave up.

She had to give points to Oghi his little side conversation with Tamaki sounded just like the obedient little eleven they were all supposed to be. He turned his head towards her. "Any sign?"

"No."

Kallen was about to give up when she heard a message on the intercom. "Would Kallen Kouziki please come to reception to collect her mobile phone."

Kallen's hand went to her pocket her phone was still there.

When the group reached the desk the receptionist handed over a phone. Which began to ring as soon as she held it. "Hello again Q-1. Could you pass the phone to Ohgi for a moment." Kallen did so. "The persons in the beige car parked across from the entrance are they yours?"

Ohgi gulped. If he said they weren't then Zero might believe they were being tailed. "They are ours."

"I suspected as much tell your friends that if they wish to meet me you will all board the monorail on platform 3 in the next fifteen minutes."

The resistance fighters looked more suspicious as they walked out of the building. Ohgi making a second call on his phone to the occupants of the vehicle. He didn't even notice the bird on a signpost watching him.

When they reached the monorail they found a woman with a hood and veil over her face flanked by a pair of men in plain clothes whose very stance screamed bodyguard. Kallen started. "Are you?"

The woman held up her hand for silence. "I am here to meet the same person you wish to." Before Kallen could say anything more a monorail car pulled up and the doors opened. Through the windows they could see that the train was completely empty.

The voice came from the phone again. "Get on the monorail."

Once onboard the monorail the train began to move taking them on a roundabout tour of the settlement with the ghettos on the other side of the train. "Look to the front and to the right. What do you see?"

Kallen narrowed her eyes. "The Settlement. A city of thieving nobles built on our peoples sacrifices." Her voice carried the edge of anger.

"On the other side?"

At this the veiled lady answered. "Our city looted and destroyed by the Brittanians and then left to ruin." Her voice softly sad.

"Indeed. Come to the front of the train."

As they passed through the empty railcar the train plunged into a tunnel. Casting the interior into shadow. At the far end stood a single figure wrapped in a black cloak. On his head was a helmet with a circular purple visor. The shape of the helm vaguely similar to a crested eagle.

"I am Zero."

The Reaper and the Samurai

In the ruins of an abandoned factory and warehouse a group of fifteen people waited with about a dozen trucks. Due to rubble there were only two real roadways into the place.

At the front of the group stood five people to whom the others gave deference. Then another truck came ambling down the road. The soldiers tensed. A bald Japanese man climbed out of the drivers seat and went around to the passenger side door.

Tohdoh recalled the name of the dealer who the JLF regularly met. "Kenro San?"

The door opened and it was not Kenro who stepped out. A giant of a man with flesh like a pale corpse and armour plating that looked like blood drenched bone. A large crow was held on the arm that he held level as he descended.

"I am afraid Kenro will not be facilitating this deal Tohdoh. He is busy elsewhere."

Tohdoh and the four holy swords were too disciplined to react, but from the guards behind could be heard the gasp "Shinigami."

Tohdoh narrowed his eyes. Like many of the JLF he had good reason to find out as much as he could about the individual from whom they bought almost half their weaponry. Being a soldier he had focused on the military aspect. The majority of operations that people could confirm Shinigami to have been involved in was small and for the most part occurred outside Japan. The ones in Japan were rather memorable. In particular the Kyushu bombing campaign in 2012 where dozens of public buildings, bridges and roadways had been destroyed. Or the more infamous ghost night massacre where a small barracks in Hokkaido had been cleared out in twenty minutes. The only survivors had been a clerk and a private who'd had the sense to surrender when they walked into the main hall to find the decapitated bodies of their comrades hanging from the overhead rafters. That was the odd thing about the Shinigami. He'd kill you in a number of brutal ways but actually surrender and he treated you as a prisoner of war. A strange twist to the figure of dread that in some ways made him more incomprehensible and terrifying then if he simply killed everyone he fought. Who knew maybe he did kill surrendering prisoners and just made sure no one was left to talk about it?

Tohdoh tightened his grip on his sword as the figure approached and then felt surprise as the dreaded Shinigami made a polite bow towards him. "Tohdoh san. It is a honour to see you again." The voice coming from the mask had a strange croaky echo to it. Making it sound at once ethereal and aged.

"We have met before?"

"Indeed I bore witness to your victory at Itsikushima. We met in person the day later. I'd doubt you remember me I was a bit shorter back then."

"The celebration at the Shinsao base? The Brittanian's hit that base two days later there were no survivors."

"Not quite but I found it more useful to remain among the dead. People do not hunt dead men. But I do hope that your soldiers enjoyed the celebratory crates of Sake that I sent to 'lift your spirits'." Tohdoh relaxed the fact that the man knew about the terrible pun that had been attached to the letter in the crate made him more believable.

"Regardless it is my great honour to finally aid you in a more concrete way. If you will follow me please." Shinigami gestured towards the factory building and together they followed him in while the driver turned around the truck and reversed it slowly behind them. Inside the building were over forty large cargo containers. As well as a dozen men all in black combat gear. They also wore full helmets with goggles. The only break from the black was the white scarves they had wrapped over their mouths. Their weapons were held ready. Shinigami held up a laser pointer and ten of those containers placed seemingly at random amongst the rest opened. The first two containers held twelve Burai all in the colours of the JLF.

"These Burai have some new modifications. If you look at the sides of the legs you'll see some locking points for extra ammunition cases. As well we've layered the front with some improved armour and a storage point for extra energy fillers."

Then Shinigami turned to the other containers and the JLF soldiers looked on with appreciation as a different knightmare rolled out. This one was painted a much darker shade of green. Its head had been shaped to resemble a blank masked samurai helmet with a curved half moon at the crest. The front chest block had more triangle shaped edges. It had gun racks attached to both sides of its cockpit block. Also it had thin plates resembling a samurai's skirt armour around the hips.

"These are the Ronin-47's. They contain a lot of Sutherland components but unlike the Burai's we built them from scratch. You note there is no factsphere. Instead it has a number of high function telephoto cameras and sensors that are dispersed through the chest, head and shoulders. It has night vision, infra red, and computer assisted tracking and mapping capability. The yggdrassil drive has been tweaked for greater energy efficiency. Allowing it to run for another two hours without recharge.

Shinigami tapped the thin metal plating on the knightmare's legs.

"The armour also is a special alloy of hypercompressed carbon steel lattice along with a substance called neoceramic. It is over fifty percent more resistant to standard Brittanian knightmare rounds then Sutherland armour while weighing the same. Better impact resistance to blunt objects as well. An edged weapon or a thrust from a Brittanian lance will still penetrate it easily."

He pointed to the arms. "The stun tonfa have been replaced with specialised punch blades that are launched from their housing using a high powered pile driver." At his words a pair of black metal blades punched out of their boxes on the knightmares arms. The shape was similar to a gladius the blade being straight until it narrowed to a sharp triangular point at the end. "The force of the pile driver blade is easily enough to punch through a Brittanians cockpit or the front armour of a Sutherland even if your own vehicle is standing still. The edges can also be used as cutting weapons. Keep in mind it takes about fifteen seconds for the driver to build up its pressure after each firing."

He gestured to a number of smaller devices on the frame. "The slash harkens cables have been replaced with specialised triple woven lines that provide twice the range as well as fifty percent more tensile strength. We've improved the firing gears so they can fire and retract faster as well." He gestured to several smaller cylinders placed on the chest and back. "Here you can see the smoke grenade launchers you requested. Although if you want to use any other form of gas grenade they can easily handle that payload."

"Now." And everyone could hear the terrible joy in the reapers words. "Let's talk about the guns."

At this several of the death troopers hauled large crates on rollers out. They opened one and inside was what appeared to be a knightmare rifle albeit painted black. There were however several differences.

"You will see here the Stalker pattern Knightmare assault rifle. It uses the standard rounds. At the end above the barrel is a specialised camera that can be connected by wireless to your knightmare's targeting system allowing you to see exactly where you are shooting. It also has an underslung grenade launcher that can carry two grenades. We're selling you a mix of standard grenades along with phospherous bombs. Although it will be fairly simple for you to make grenades for your own use. But there is a little function added in you can set the grenade to impact detonation or to detonate at a determined distance after firing. Excellent for enemies using cover. "

"Then there are these." Shinigami turned to another series of containers. "The box on your left contains an 'Arbalest' Knightmare scale grenade launcher with the same abilities I mentioned before it can carry a magazine of twenty three shots. The one on the right contains a knightmare scale flame thrower utilising a napalm derivative that will cling to the aluminium ceramic frame of a Sutherland. Probably not hot enough to harm a tank though."

Shinigami turned back towards Tohdoh. "The rest is standard fare small arm versions of these. A large number of antitank missiles. And of course plenty of ammo and spare parts. But I can see you are interested in your special order."

At that Saito and several other men pulled forward an extremely long box. They opened it. Inside nestled in heavy packaging was a katana on the scale of a knightmare. Closer inspection revealed that instead of a single edge the blade was composed of thousands of tiny teeth bound into three chains packed closely together. But there was more a distinctive wave pattern had been wrought into the metal like that of a traditional katana. There was a cross pattern on the handle. Intricate images of foxes and eagles were bound into the hilt. "For such a request I felt I could not limit it to pure functionality. They are everything you wished .These blades could saw through the barrel of a tanks cannon in 2.5 seconds. Their internal batteries can keep them running for an hour and a half. Each has a spare battery so you can replace them in the field if you wish. I take pride in all my work Tohdoh san but here I feel I have made a work of art."

Tohdoh felt surprise of all the things to hear from the dreaded Shinigami the sound of a craftsman's pride was not one of them. Tohdoh wondered for a moment how much of the weapons being sold here were of Shinigami's forging. "Indeed Shinigami they are excellent."

"I must admit I am surprised that you would request these. Even the Ronin's don't possess the degree of dexterity or flexibility I would imagine are needed to use such a weapon to its full potential."

Tohdoh said nothing it was clear that Shinigami was fishing for information.

After a while the reaper continued. "Regardless may I assume this all meets your satisfaction?"

Tohdoh nodded "It does."

"Excellent I have already confirmed the payment made in currency by your factors at the other dropsite. All that remains is your delivery of the non monetary part of the arrangement." Tohdoh nodded and six of the JLF Soldiers came up each pushing a large metal container sealed with an electronic lock. "I hope you don't mind if I inspect the contents do you?" The reaper walked to one of the boxes and input a code. The rest of the soldiers stepped back as the armour clad figure held a small device over the box checking its readings before opening the lid partially and gazing at what lay within it. "Thank you Tohdoh San it is exactly what was promised. Now if you will excuse me I have some other business to attend to." Shinigami nodded to his soldiers who began loading up his truck with the JLF's payment. Shinigami watched until the vehicle was loaded and then hopped in. The truck drove off as the JLF began loading up their own vehicles.

The Devil

The Lady Kami and the resistance fighters felt utterly perplexed as they gazed at this man in an opera suit and a helmet.

Kallen blinked _Zero as in nothing? _"Were you the one from Shinjuku?"

"Indeed I am. Tell me did you enjoy my tour of the settlement."

Ohgi spoke up. "Yeah there is a difference between us and them, a very harsh one."

"Indeed but my question was directed mainly at her." Zero nodded towards the veiled lady in the shadow of her guards.

"You noticed me I'm flattered."

"Even at half price a group of Ohgis size could not have purchased that red knightmare without some serious financial assistance. It is an honour to meet you madam."

"Call me Lady Kami." You could sense a hint of humour in her voice. "Madam makes me sound old. And yes it was clarifying seeing the contrast between cities."

"Of course." His voice sounded polite like a gentleman asking a lady to the dance. Then it changed. "I wished you all to fully grasp the two the ghetto and the settlement." He flung his arms wide revealing the elegant suit behind the cloak.

Ohgi stepped forward "Yeah we all know it and that's why we resist Brittania."

"You are fools. Brittania will not fall to terrorism."

"What."

"It's nothing more than childish nuisance. It is not these civilians who are your enemy. It is Brittania itself that you must destroy. It is a war that must be waged but not targeted at innocents. Resolve yourself for bloody war and the death of a nation. Take up your sword and fight for justice."

"Oh come on it's all very easy to say that isn't it? Take off that mask and we'll talk."

Zero turned his head towards Kallen. Even through opaque glass the force of his glare was great but she did not back down.

"I am hardly the only one here who wears a mask. Besides do you really believe that knowing the features of my face would grant you insight into my trustworthiness?"

The veiled lady spoke back her voice calm "Perhaps. But it is you who summoned us. It is you who now courts us as allies or recruits." Her voice now had a rather amused tone to it. "Generally it is the bride who asks her groom to be for some proof of his intention."

"Touche Lady Kami. Even now you retain an edge of suspicion as to my motives. That is wise. You all wish proof that I can be trusted. But rather than my face bear witness to my resolve and to my power. The proof of my resolve lies in that box on the seat next to you."

Ohgi walked over to the box and pulled off the lid. Then his hand went to his mouth. "Uhggh." They all crowded around and some of them looked rather queasy. There in the box his face frozen in terror was the head of Clovis La Brittania. Zero noted with approval that regardless of nausea, none of them looked away. In fact the veiled lady showed no reaction at all not even a movement of the shoulders.

She turned her head. "Your resolve is clear what of your power?"

"It should be obvious to you all that it is not Suzaku who killed Clovis. The Purists will make him a sacrifice for their own agenda. I will do the impossible. I will save him in front of the entire world. If I do this will you join in my quest to destroy Brittania?"

For an age the veiled lady looked at him. Everyone watched as two masked countenances stared each other down. Then she nodded.

"If you can do what you claim you will indeed be worthy of both our trust and our support."

"Thank you. Now those of you who wish to aid me in this mission meet me at this location. In two hours." Zero's hand reached into a pocket and handed Kallen a note.

"Regardless your stop is coming up. Leave the head by the way. I still need it."

The train stopped and they filed off it leaving the mysterious Zero behind. The Lady Kami listened to the grousing and disbelief in most of the fighters and came to a decision. "Kallen, Ohgi. I believe that regardless of what the others think you should help this Zero. This is an opportunity that cannot be missed."

The Reaper

Luthur may have completed his sale but he and his henchmen had one more stop to make. They pulled in the ruins of a street utterly devoid of any squatters. Luthur got out and wrapped in his cloak walked through the door of a building with a tattered sign describing it as a dentist. Dust flew in after him. As calm as he appeared Luthur was troubled. Part of him had wanted so desperately to reveal himself to Tohdoh. To let him know he still lived. But not yet not until Tohdoh had been truly brought in and those in the JLF who might know of Genbu's death interrogated.

He walked past a pair of death troopers guarding a door and into the dentist's room closing it behind him. On the chair was strapped a middle aged Japanese man in his underwear with a heavy gag over his mouth. As well there were a number of electrodes attached to his scalp and chest which had both been shaved albeit rather roughly. The faint beep of a heart rate monitor broke the silence and a number of other readings showed on a small laptop hooked to the medical equipment. He did manage to get a whimper out when he saw Death walk in the door and close it behind him.

Luthur sat down on a chair and accessed his haptic computer system confirming that the visual and audio recording devices were functioning. Then he leaned back and turned his glowing yellow gaze on the man sitting in the chair across from him.  
"Ahh Kenro. Somehow when I hired you so long ago I always suspected we'd be having this conversation."

"Mhmmmh"

"Understand it was never the amount you were skimming on the side that bothered me. That's endemic to any organisation like our own. You were always so good at your job I didn't mind. However then you start selling substandard garbage that's slated for disassembly. In some cases junk that you dig up yourself. When you do it under my name, as my representative well that's a problem. I took a close look at that P.O.S knightmare you sold to a resistance group last week. They were lucky they have a pilot so good she could make a lawnmower dance. You know the knightmare painted red to cover up the internal corrosion?" The man on the table winced. "It was a miracle it started at all. The slash harkens failed almost immediately. Its energy block was running at only half power and its arms suffered from so much metal fatigue its amazing they didn't both fall off."

"Certainly not the kind of quality hardware which Shinigami is famous for. So I took a closer look at what you've been doing these past six months. It's also not the first thing you've sold that was substandard. You made it this far because a lot of your clients were small timers we rarely deal with who ended up getting killed by the defective garbage you peddled. You didn't just fuck with your clients Kenro you almost screwed with my reputation." The terrible gaze of death locked with Kenro's eyes. But for all his fear he could not look away. "You cannot claim when you entered my employment that you were not made **_completely aware_** of what the consequences of such betrayal would be. You just thought you'd never be caught."

"But that's over now. However you may have one faint hope. You see Kenro I do have a certain code of ethics one which admittedly the majority of people would find disturbing. Certainly the things I am prepared to accept in human experimentation on cadavers would have me decried as a monster in some cases. But I believe that using a non consenting, sentient human being in a physically dangerous or lethal medical experiment is wrong."

"Traitor that you are, you are still a man not a test animal. You are not a soldier facing me on the field and so you will have choice. Now I have acquired a useful piece of equipment which has two functions one of which is a very interesting way of killing a person the other is more a method of interrogation. I want to acquire more data. I also want to see if I can use the non lethal function without activating the lethal one. So either I test it in battle with an enemy combatant who I'd kill anyway or a monitored test subject." Luthur stood up and leaned over the sweating man on the table. "A voluntary test subject. If I did not need one you would already be dead. You still can be. If you take option one I will administer a powerful sedative. You will drift off into painless sleep and then I will kill you. Your body will be harvested for any useful organs then disposed of." The clinical way Luthur outlined Kenro's fate brought tears to the prisoners eyes.

"Or you can volunteer to find out if I can use only one function of my little toy. A certain painless death versus a possible death. The choice is yours. Now do you want the first option?" The bound figure on the table shook his head. "Are you sure you wish to volunteer?" The figure nodded. "Excellent." The man blinked his eyes as the crow flew overhead to perch on the light above the dentists chair cawing mockingly.

Death leaned back and activated his haptic computer. "Begin visual and auditory recording. Experiment with devils arm No 1. To determine if mental extraction process can operate independently of life sucking properties of the aforementioned devils arm. Second to recall all neurological and physical data that occurs during this event. Subject is volunteer Kenro No Ichigo who has agreed to test contingent of lifting of his rightly earned death sentence." He turned back towards Kenro who began to struggle against his bindings in sheer terror. Luthur's voice now holding a dreadful air of anticipation spoke. "Experiment commences." The left arm of Shinigami began to warp, blue fire seemed to leak from thin tears in the false skin. Then the palm of his hand make the shrieking sound of tearing metal as an inhuman eyeball appeared. Then it darted forwards and grasped Kenro by the head. Sheer pain tore across the twisted features and if it had not been for the gag he would have bitten off his tongue. He struggled against the bonds. Luthur had his head flung back his breathing accelerating as the rush of information filled his mind. "Yes a bit more and I'll have stripped you of anything useful a little bit arghhh." He lost control and the fingers dug in harder. Blood flowed down Kenro's head who began to shrivel up like the Brittanian he killed before. His body jerking so hard it broke a strap even as it wasted away to nothing.

Luthur fell back in the chair gasping with pleasure. Without any damage to heal the energy was simply consumed. _That felt very, very good_ "Notation it is possible to use only the mental extraction aspect. However it requires concentration on the part of the user. In addition the longer it goes on the harder it becomes to prevent activation of the life draining power. Theory perhaps multiple short uses could allow data extraction without killing the subject. On a side note since the energy is not going to heal the user it is instead producing a very pleasant endorphic effect. No other responses have been noted. Although the biomechanical warping properties of the arm seem to extend to the armoured gauntlet attached to the palm." After just waiting there for a while Luthur got up and copied all the data from the laptop onto his own haptic computer. Then he set it to delete all recordings. He walked out with Dust sitting on his shoulder and spoke to the troopers. "Clean this up then dump the head in the river." Then he went outside and boarded the truck.

Four hours later

The Devil and the Reaper.

Night had fallen across the campus grounds Luthur watched as Lelouch helped Nunnally out of her walking frame. He then lifted the frail girl in his mighty arms and laid her gently in the bed. "Brothers you don't think they really will kill Suzaku do you?"

Lelouch spoke softly. I'm sure they will find him to be innocent Nunnally I don't believe for a moment that he really would have killed Clovis."

"Yes Poor Clovis he was so nice to me and I remember his pretty paintings."

Luthur's face took on a sad smile. "I never knew him personally Nunnally but I have seen his artworks. Whatever else may be said he was indeed a talented artist."

"I wish." Then she stopped.

Lelouch spoke up as he held her hand. "What do you wish for Nunnally?"

"I wish the world was a more peaceful place."

"Then I promise that it will be so."

Nunnally grabbed his hand. "Cross your heart hope to die eat a thousand needles if I lie pinkie promise."

"What was that?" Lelouch asked as Luthur muffled his own laughter.

"Sayoko taught it to me it's a Japanese pinkie swear."

"Oh dear I may have to eat a thousand needles someday."

Luthur spoke up. "Well you won't be alone when you do." Then he held Nunnally's hand in the same pinkie swear.

"One day little one you will open your eyes to a world that is more peaceful. Then you will walk through a garden that floats in the sky and rivers of water that fly through the air."

Nunnally reached up and nuzzled into the giants thick black hair "You're a dreamer big brother."

"Yes I am but always remember little bird. You must dream of it before you can make it real. No matter how dark the world may be we must never stop striving to forge our dreams into reality."

With that the brothers kissed her goodnight and leaving her with a small radio walked out of her room.

Authors note.

Derain: On the advice of my spell checker I might create dedicated entries for all the technical stuff just to focus more on story. Although, understand I did feel it important to allow Luthur a chance to gloat about all the badass stuff he's made in a setting that didn't risk compromising security.

Luthur: Yes, yes bow to my genius little peons bow. Wait why are you pointing that glowy ray gun at me?

Derain: Only I get to make mad scientist rants in the Authors note.

Lelouch: On the subject of mad science that's some pretty dark stuff with the dentist's chair.

Luthur: Oh get of your high horse you experimented on your classmates.

Lelouch: Oh yeah.

Derain: But yes I've decided to move us to T rating on that basis. Throw the switch. Mwahahah

A massive shudder extends through the fortess and eerie red lighing comes on.

Kallen: Who is this spell checker guy anyway? Why haven't we met him?

Derain: Oh you probably will he's one of the few people who hates Suzaku's guts even more vocally than I do.

Lelouch: I'm still puzzled by who this Lady Kami is supposed to be.

Kallen: Seriously you haven't figured it out?

Luthur: Yeah even I have figured out who it has to be.

Derain: Lelouch has a ten kilometre wide blind spot when it comes to women. The guy became emperor of the world and I think he still died a virgin.

Lady Kami: We'll see about that.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer I don not own code geass. On with the story.

_Kill ten men people will hate you. Kill a thousand they'll line up to fight you. Kill one man make him scream. Make him bleed. Hang his corpse for all to see. Then they will fear you._

Chapter 7

**South Africa, Johannesburg, Southbank hospital, Psychiatric wing. 2000 A.T.B**

A ten year old boy with ebony hair sat in the waiting room. By his side were half a dozen books. Another was held in his hand David Weber's 'A short victorious war.' The boy's eyes were moving over the text rapidly. At first glance it would seem as if he was an ordinary bookish boy reading a science fiction novel. But a close examination of the texts beside him would reveal - A book on high end mathematics, a book on theoretical physics, two treatises dealing with electric and vehicular engineering, a book on metallurgy and Sun Tzu's 'art of war'. A small notepad lay next to him and occasionally the young man would write in it. Although if anyone tried reading the notes they would be perplexing consisting of confusing mathematical formulas and some kind of strange gibberish language that resembled German.

Next to him sat his mother. The woman was gigantic, muscled and looked like she could have picked up the couch they were sitting on and broken it. Her hair was midnight black but cut short. Her eyes were a pale blue and faint scars traced across her right cheek and down the slope of her throat. A silver cross hung from a chain around her neck along with a set of dog tags. She also sat with the straight back and discipline of a soldier. But for all that she looked at the boy next to her with a mixture of love and concern. Her large hand gently stroked his hair even as his eyes scanned the pages in front of him. The receptionist across the room spoke up. "Mrs Wulfenbach Doctor Sigmund will see you now."

The woman sat up and then kissed her son on the forehead. "I'll be back soon Luthur be safe."

The boy looked up and his eyes held the uncomplicated love of a child for his mother. "Of course mum." Then they immediately went back to scanning the page in front of him.

The woman walked into the doctors office and sat down. Across from her sat a bald man with a trim black beard and round glasses. "Mrs Wulfenbach we have completed our tests and I can assure you of this. Your son does not suffer from any mental defect or illness."

The woman's face showed relief. "He, he is alright."

"No Mrs Wulfenbach in fact he is very much alright. Your son is smart. In fact your son has a genius level intellect that places him in the top ten percent of people on the planet. He is not only smarter than me his IQ is higher than the most experienced professors at Johannesburg university. I know because I checked the survey records."

Sarah Wulfenbach raised her right eyebrow slightly. "If this is the case then why is he having such trouble at school?"

"Madam I believe it is because of his intellect that he is experiencing trouble. As I understand they have already moved him up a grade. But he has already made it through his year's curriculum by independent study. He is skipping classes to study in the library on his own because he does not feel challenged or enlightened by the level of his lessons. The same is true of his classmates. He is frustrated and angry over their inability to understand what he is talking about. They in turn react negatively to the realization that he is so much smarter than them. Which has led to bullying."

Sarah raised her head in a sign of fierce pride. "Those who have tried have done so only once."

"The fact as you say that he has won conclusively in every fight he has been in also prevents people from approaching him out of any sense of pity. Your martial training has certainly helped him avoid being badly hurt but it is my belief that he will only be happy if he is moved up to a high school grade at the least."

"He's not even twelve. Even if what you say is true putting him amongst teenagers will not be easy for him. What are the other complications?"

"Well madam as you have seen people who exhibit such a degree of intelligence at his age often suffer from a sense of social isolation from their peers. This will be true whether he remains in primary school or not but you must be aware that it can seriously affect his ability to interact with people in later life. If I may ask madam perhaps you should talk to his father."

The woman's face went cold. "His father is in Japan and does not even know he has a son."

**Area 11 Brittanian settlement 2017 A.T.B 9.30 PM**

The Reaper.

The wind buffeted Luthur as he sat wrapped in shadow upon his perch. It was a strange thing to remember. That fateful day when it had been confirmed that there wasn't anything really wrong with him. He wondered what that doctor would say now. "Hmpph."

His perch was a small maintenance cupboard at the top of a bridges support pylon. The Brittanian who'd been up here was lying in a state of unconsciousness. After the crowborgs had carefully cloned his voiceprint Luthur had been able to subdue him without worrying about any radio messages of alarm. Now the flock of crowborgs sat along the cables of the bridge. Looking down you could see either side of the bridge lined with Brittanian citizens awaiting the approach of the traitor Kururugi. As he listened in on the Brittanian broadcast and checked that the cables to his harness were secure Luthur whispered a single word "Showtime."

The Orange

Jeremiah checked the controls of his new knightmare. With his increase in status he'd requisitioned a sixth gen frame from the armory. A harrier frame like the one in which he had risen to the rank of margrave for his actions in area 9. The Sixth generation frames were less well known because they'd been the first attempt at making knightmares for specialized combat roles. An attempt that had mixed success. For the ones that did work properly the only use they saw most of the time was by special weapons teams or deep raiding commando units. Case in point his Harrier a knightmare designed around indirect fire and anti tank weaponry. It was painted a dark blue. With mortar launchers on the shoulders and one long black anti tank rifle held forward like a lance. In fact it actually had a bayonet attachment. It's head wasn't even remotely humanoid consisting of six separate cameras clustered together with the factsphere located in the chest. A design feature that had carried over to the Lancelot.

At that thought he felt a twinge of guilt. He actually had been impressed by Suzaku's performance with the Lancelot. But regardless of that he had to go through with this. Only through such acts could he hope to one day ascend to the rounds and stand any chance of discovering the murderers of Lady Marianne. Only then could he avenge her and repay the debt of honor he owed.

Viletta Nu chimed in on the com "My Lord Jeremiah are you well?"

Jeremiah realized he must have let his thoughts affect his expression. "I'm fine move out." The parade began its journey out of the government centre.

The Fan

Diethard Reid watched the video screens as the procession went along. The street lined with good patriotic Brittanians as Jeremiah had wanted. _It's all a theatre and I'm the stage manager not a reporter. _The camera showed a bound and straight jacketed Suzaku exposed to the jeers of the crowd. The script the commentator used was so predictable he could have recited comatose. "Voices of hate saddened by the loss of their beloved prince raining their condemnation down on a terrorist."

_Hardly I doubt Jeremiah and his flunkies even bothered looking for Clovis's killer_ "And I'm as corrupt as the rest of them." He muttered under his breath. _Wait what is that?_

The Beloved

In her room Nunnaly had propped herself up using pillows and sat next to the radio listening to the commentator. She hugged a pale horse plushie that Luthur had gotten her five years ago. Her head picked up at a sudden change in the commentators voice.

The Lady

In a darkened room behind a folding screen an eighteen year old Japanese woman watched the procession on the television. Her breath caught at what she saw.

The Queen

"What is this? It appears to be Prince Clovis's personal vehicle approaching the convoy?"

_What it is. Is pure suicide. _Kallen was cursing as she drove the car. Barely three hours ago she and Ohgi had met Zero at a junkyard an event which had proven only slightly less terrifying than what she was doing right now.

"So you are the only ones?"

"Look I'm sorry maybe if you explained more of your plan."

"No need. You two will be all that is necessary I need you to assemble this." He'd then handed them a diagram of prince Clovis's car.

"Really?" Ohgi had been disbelieving.

"Oh don't worry you'll have help" And zero inclined his head towards a point just between them.

Kallen and Ohgi had turned around to find Death standing behind them.

"Shinigami!"

The figure raised his hands. "Please call me death or if that is too eerie simply reaper."

The bone armoured knightmare turned towards Kallen. "I must offer my apologies to you Kallen Kouziki."

"For, for what?" Why the hell would death feel he owed her an apology?

"The knightmare you were using at Shinjuku should not have been sold to you it was slated for destruction. I assure you the one responsible for its poor condition has been fired."

They both blanched. Death sighed. "No I did not burn him to death. Are you going to stand there or are we going to build a princes car out of junk?"

The Devil

Beneath his helmet Lelouch smiled. Jeremiah had allowed the vehicle to proceed no doubt intending to make a more dramatic arrest. The HUD of his helmet projected a computer image of the bridge formed from the crowborgs cameras. The marker point for the vehicle was a floating arrow just in front of them. "Kallen stop here. Pale Rider are you ready?"

"I am ready." The anticipation in the reapers voice was palpable.

"Enough arrest these criminals who dare defile Prince Clovis's vehicle."

"Time to raise the curtain." Lelouch pressed a button and the banner on the top of the car exploded into flames.

Those watching were amazed the front part of the princes cabin turned into a roaring furnace and standing in the midst of the flames was a nightmare. A figure garbed in smooth black armor that seemed to drink in light not even reflecting the red of the flames. Licks of fire swirled around curved plate greaves. The chest was an assembly of carved metal bound to a pair of shoulder plates with raised ends that bracketed the head. His hands were gauntlets of ebon steel. In the gaps of the plate could be seen nothing but black muscle. The only color was a twisted silver trident on the breastplate just below the neck. The helmet was a simple reflective visor of purple shaped like an eagle's silhouette with twisting golden designs on its base. Behind him his thick cloak billowed in the updraft of the flames but like its wearer it did not burn.

"I am ZERO."

"Whatever" Jeremiah sneered from the open cockpit of his harrier "Your little spectacle ends here." A team of Sutherlands dropped down from there VTOL's above surrounding the car and pointing their rifles at its armored occupant. The wind buffeted the armored figure who stood unmoving even as the flames died down. "Now take off that helmet terrorist."

The figure slowly raised up his hand as if to remove the mask and then raised his middle finger towards the Brittanian. The rest of the car behind him broke apart revealing a large spherical container with tubes attached. Another shrouded object was just behind it.

"Lord Jeremiah that's-"

"The Poison gas weapon from Shinjuku. Hold your fire." Jeremiahs voice was the iron control of a veteran dispassionate in explaining the disaster they were in. "He's just taken every Brittanian here hostage and he's done it without any of them even knowing it."

Suzaku looked on in shock "Wait that's' arrgh." The shock collar about his neck silenced him.

Jeremiah cursed under his breath as he aimed his pistol at the figure. _If I can take him out perhaps I can prevent detonation. A very big if, that armor looks like it could stop a cannon ball. _"Going to shoot? I think you know full well the consequences if I should activate this little device of mine.

Jeremiah holstered his pistol "Fine what do you want?"

"A simple trade this for Suzaku Kururugi. In return for a single eleven you'll save scores of your precious Brittanians. I consider that to be a bargain.

At the edge of a crowd Diethard held a camera and focused on the armored figure. _This is all a performance to him. _

"This man is charged with killing Prince Clovis. I cannot hand him over."

"You're wrong. Suzaku Kururugi is many things but a murderer is not one of them. The man who killed Clovis was myself." Everyone gasped "Unlike you pureblood." His voice dripped with scorn. "I can prove my claim. Behold my horseman." The armored hand pointed upwards. Everyone's gaze followed it and they saw descending downwards a dark figure surrounded by crows flying in every direction. The figure's descent slowed for a few seconds and then slammed into the roadway.

Slowly the figure rose from its kneeling position. It looked like some animated corpse wearing samurai armor made from blood drenched femurs. Its eyes were pits of burning yellow flame set in mask of blank bone. In its left arm it held a staff with two scythe blades at each end and in its right it held up. Now people began to scream. It was Clovis's head the face locked in an expression of terror. Contemptuously the figure flung the head towards Jeremiah where it bounced and rolled on the concrete looking straight into Diethards camera lens.

Zero continued "Clovis begged like a weakling child for his life. Oh the secrets that spilled from his mouth as he tried to save himself. Including one you know of. You wouldn't want everyone to know about Orange would you?"

"What?" The vehicle moved forward and zero kept his head level with Jeremiah's

"If I die it will all go public if you don't want that to happen." A small rectangle on the helmet retracted "You'll let me take Suzaku Kururugi away from here." The red bird flew forth into Jeremiah's eyes.

"Very well. Release the prisoner."

Viletta turned her head towards Jeremiah in shock "My lord what are you doing?" She felt a chill down her spine and realized that the skeletal warrior was looking right at her.

The figure began calmly walking across the tarmac towards where Suzaku was held captive. He picked up Clovis head as he did. When he reached the platform Suzaku was on the guards trained their weapons on him.

Jeremiah's voice barked out. "I gave you an order. Let him take the prisoner."

As Death ascended the platform he handed the head over to one of the guards.

"You'll probably want to hang on to this." The guard dropped his rifle rather than risk letting the prince's head touch the ground.

Suzaku tried to speak but all that happened was another electric shock. The reaper broke his staff in two as the blades moved to right angles to the hafts. Then he made a sliced through the restraining cuffs and hauled the prisoner to his feet. "Come on private Kururugi. Oh and keep holding onto that head Brittanian. Not wielding a rifle may be the only way you get through this alive." Everyone remained tense watching as the bone armored figure escorted the prisoner back to the car then opened a box on the back of the vehicle and made him don a motorcycle helmet.

Villetta noticed that the skeletal figure was standing next to the sphere. Again he was looking right at her. Then she realized if they got away the purists would be discredited utterly. The fear of disgrace prompted her to action "If they get away we lose everything." She powered up her knightmare but before she could even raise her rifle Jeremiah knocked her aside with his stun tonfa.

"Were my orders unclear Villeta you must not interfere with."

"Too late." Zero held up a detonator and pressed it. The container broke apart and a massive cloud of purple smoke exploded outwards.

"That's bastard he's released the poison." Over the sound of panic could be heard a dull roar. Shooting out of the purple cloud away from the Britanian knightmares was Death and a helmeted figure in a straightjacket. On a motorcycle.

A cameraman who'd been standing from further down the bridge caught it on film. Later it became one of the most popular slow motion clips on the internet. The massive bone armored warrior driving out of the smoke on a motorcycle with a horse's skull at the centre. His hair billows behind him like a banner and flocks of crows are either side. One hand holds his scythe staff high as he drives. The vehicles exhaust trails green fire as it burns down the roadway and then accelerates past with a roaring engine. He weaves in between three Brittanian knightmares. The scythe swings, for a moment there is a flash of purple light and it carves a burning track across the last knightmares knee joint. He speeds past the toppling mecha and approaches the bridge exit.

"My lord the horseman is escaping with Kururugi." _I'll let Zero take Suzaku Kururugi away _Jeremiah hesitated then the red glow faded from his eyes.

"Damn them all. I'll run that terrorist down. After him." Rather than risk crushing the civilians who could be stumbling all through the smoke Jeremiah launched his harkens towards the bridge structure and swung over the expanding cloud to land on the other side. "You two form up on me. Viletta call for ambulances and hazard containment get those civilians clear NOW." Then he rammed the harrier's acceleration into high gear and sped after the fleeing reaper the others forming up on him.

When fighting tanks knightmares won by dodging. The light armor of a mecha was nothing next to a tanks main gun so in order to survive a knightmare had to swerve faster than the tanks turret could track. The Harrier took this further its advanced tracking systems were meant to maintain a weapons lock for the arms to fire even as it dodged all over the place at speed. The multiple cameras zoomed in on the fleeing motorcycle. Once the enemy reached the first turn off after the bridge exit he'd lose his shot. Not needing to dodge Jeremiahs chances of missing were almost non existent. The targeter chimed and a icon appeared an orange circle surrounding the back of the cycle. Weapons lock. Jeremiah went to pull the trigger then tiny projectiles shot off the back of the cycle the driver swerved and a massive flash of light overtook the screen. _Flashbangs _Time slowed down and Jeremiah moved his weapon in the direction he'd seen the bike swerve. He pulled the trigger. The Harrier shook as an armor piercing round exited the barrel. The screen returned to normal. Ahead there was a crater carved into the roadway. "Did I hit him?"

"Almost my lord but he's dropped the prisoner." Indeed Jeremiah could see the straight jacketed Suzaku rolling across the concrete as the bike turned a corner and vanished out of sight. Continue pursuit of the terrorist I will capture Suzaku." Jeremiah pulled up beside the broken body. _Probably dead_ He reached to pick up the figure and the helmet fell off. It was a shop front clothes dummy. "It's a decoy. Knights report. Have you captured the terrorist?"

A rather chagrined and pain filled voice came over the com. "Apologies sir. The street we followed him down had high tensile cables strung across it. Our knightmares just coathangered themselves."

"Viletta?"

"Nothing seems to have happened to the civilian's sir. We'll have to wait until the containment teams check but so far our sensors confirm it as just smoke."

_And I didn't stop to ask where Zero had gone did I? _"Damn it."

The Knight and The Devil

In the chaos of Luthur's exit the four had landed on the train. By the time anyone thought to check the railway lines they'd moved to a car. The terrorists led Suzaku to the broken remnants of Tokyo State University. As they entered the building Suzaku saw more people some in Black combat gear others in civilian garb with old weapons and red headbands. When they passed the headband wearing ones it felt like Zero was showing him off. Then they passed into a ruined auditorium. The others waited behind and Suzaku followed. Standing beside a pile of rubble was the Shinigami casually feeding small tidbits of meat to a crow perched on his shoulder guard. Zero turned around and spoke.

"I can see that they were pretty rough on you. Now at last you see them for what they are. Brittannia is not worthy of your service. If you truly wish to bring change to this world then join me."

Suzaku's face was calm and bore a strange determination. "Did you really kill Clovis?"

"This is war. Why wouldn't I kill an enemy commander?"

"You mutilated him."

At this point the pale rider chimed in. "Actually that was me. But I did it after Zero shot him. He didn't suffer. Pity."

Suzaku's face grew more serious. "And the gas weapon? Those were innocent people out there."

"A bluff it was nothing but smoke. The result. A prisoner extraction without a single casualty."

"The result I guess that's all that matters to you." Then Suzaku looked up and his face was now utterly determined. "But this nation it can be changed for the better from within."

_Change? _Lelouch was stunned. Luthur stopped feeding Dust and looked at Suzaku like he'd just grown a second head.

Suzaku turned around and began walking away "And any ends gained through contemptible means aren't worth anything."

"Where are you going?"

"My Court Martial starts in an hour."

"Are you insane? The whole point of the trial is to find you guilty the judge, the jury and the defense."

"Even so rules are rules. If I don't go they'll start cracking down on Elevens and honorary Britannians. I'd try to take you in but you'd probably kill me. If I'm going to die it will be in service of the people." Suzaku squared his shoulders and walked onwards.

"ENOUGH" The harsh roar of the reaper echoed through the room. Dust had flown away and Luthur stood his gauntleted hands tightening on the hafts of his weapons until they creaked. The cold calm of Shinigami had vanished replaced by tightly controlled rage. "The service of the people? I've never heard such a load of utter bullshit in my life. Was it in the service of the people that you helped the Brittanians massacre them all in the Shinjiku ghetto?"

Suzaku's flinched "I didn't kill anyone."

"Oh I believe you. If you'd been right in the thick of the slaughter Jeremiah would have had a harder time pinning it on you. Still you would have had to have been there in a support role or maybe you got wounded before the killing began. Either way you were there. Helping them kill."

Luthur came closer towering over Suzaku his yellow eyes blazing with anger.

"My Lord offers you service despite what you were involved in. You throw it back in his face and call our ends worthless. Clovis only gave the ceasefire at gunpoint. Do you dare tell me that the saving of those innocent lives, of CHILDRENS LIVES is worthless?"

Suzaku said nothing. There was nothing to say.

"In the war to come innocents will die though we may strive our hardest to prevent it. You could have been one. The whole point of them convicting you was so they could crack down on the Japanese. But we weren't prepared to let Genbu's son be killed for our actions."

At last something like anger came from Suzaku's face. "My father has nothing to do with this."

"He has everything to do with it. He's the reason you're still alive. If it was anyone else we would have let them kill you."

Suzaku's face didn't change. Even though the reaper looked like he as only two inches away from decapitating him he stared right back. "The only thing that will come from fighting the Brittanians is more death. It won't change anything. Fighting against Brittania is why that battle got started in the first place. If you're going to kill me get on with it I've got a trial to get to." Suzaku did not flinch whatever else he might have been he was not afraid of death.

"You're a fool." Zeros voice echoed about the room. His own voice was calmer though no less shocked then Luthur's.

Suzaku looked aside and smiled. "An old friend always used to call me that. He was probably right. I guess it's just my nature. Even so thank you for saving my life."

With that he turned and continued walking away.

Lelouch saw Luthur's shoulder plate rise as his muscles tensed. "Death don't hurt him."

Luthur turned back towards Zero and his voice was carried over their private encryption link. "I wouldn't kill him if even if he was not … Even if …" He paused too consumed by anger to even say the words. "He's simply too worthless to bother killing."

Then he spoke out loud. "But you were wrong my lord the Brittanians are utterly deserving of his service. Do you hear that you moron. They deserve you." He yelled at the slowly departing back of the young Japanese. "And don't act all self sacrificing either. We've already proved your innocence. They'll probably have to promote you just to diminish the bad press." If Suzaku heard he gave no notice. When he finally moved out of sight Luthur screamed and flung his scythe blade into the wall where it dug in and cracked the concrete. His shoulders heaved with the heavy breathing. Zero walked forwards. "Are you alright?" No answer "Brother are you alright?"

Luthur calmed. "No I'm not. But thanks for asking. My Brother." There was an emotion there other than rage. Luthur sighed. "So much for discouraging people from becoming honorary Brittanians."

"It wasn't a total loss. I think we've adequately demonstrated my ability to walk on water to our friends outside."

Death laughed softly. "Well your feet certainly didn't get wet. By the way I was right."

"What?"

"His compulsion was indeed affected by his perceptions. The moment it looked like I was the one making off with Suzaku he snapped out of it even though it was a trick. I win the bet."

Zero ruefully nodded. "Oh right. I have to give you that one. What am I volunteering for this time?" Even losing a bet was worth it to see his brother ease up.

"Don't worry I've already decided. You'll find out in a week or sooner. Ah well. I guess Zero had better go tell the troops we're abandoning this position a little earlier then we meant to."

"At this point I could tell them to dance and they'd probably start waltzing."

Then both of them started laughing.

Authors Note

Derain: Well that went well. Originally I was thinking of giving Zero more ornate armor Then I looked at the original costume and the design of the Shinkiro I realized that Lelouch is really a minimalist. Probably a reaction to all that fancy hair and clothing his family went in for.

Lelouch: Can you blame me? My father tries to look like a Victorian era judge.

Luthur: Yeah. And the others hair styles? They make me look subdued.

Derain: I am really happy with this chapter though and not just because I got to show death riding a flaming motorcycle. Which was **awesome**. I got to show how deep the bond is between Luthur and Lelouch. Harmless one upmanship. Concern over each others emotions. Each of them really is the brother they never had. Luthur because his family is complicated and Lelouch because his natural brothers are all… Yeah I don't need to elaborate on that.

Kallen: Plus Luthur as a little kid. Fun and kind of creepy.

Derain: Puts the reason why he made Lelouch the mastermind in focus doesn't it. From the perspective of a child genius having a little kid as the general isn't that weird.

Suzaku: Kind of harsh on me there though.

Derain: Oh rarely will I miss an opportunity to make you know the thick, bitter, brown taste of your own bullshit.

Suzaku: Isn't the author supposed to be more impartial?

Derain: I am impartial. You want to meet someone who really hates you? Meet my spell checker.

KRAKABOOM

The wall explodes inwards. Outside is a raging storm. In rides a massive red haired and red bearded giant on a chariot pulled by two flaming goats. He is bare-chested and wields a mighty warhammer in his hand.

Suzaku: Who are you?

BRANNOTH: I am BRANNOTH brother to Derain, Lord of thunder and lightning and spell checker of awesomeness. You are a self righteous douchbag. Now prepare yourself.

Suzaku: For what?

BRANNOTH: For the LIST!

BRANNOTH opens a scroll. It rolls across the floor out one window and then in the one on the opposite side of the room.

Kallen: Did that list just circumnavigate the planet?

BRANNOTH: Yes it did now be silent while I recite all the reasons Suzaku sucks.

Suzaku: Isn't there a second option?

BRANNOTH: Yes there is puny Suckzaku. THUNDER HAMMER!

BRANNOTH smashes Suzaku right in the crotch.

Suzaku: Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee ee.

Luthur: Oh that looks bad.

BRANNOTH: Now I must go to work on mother's new cottage for a week. Banjo, Gypsy away.

He cracks the reigns and the flaming goats pull the chariot into the sky.

Suzaku: Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Derain: Don't seem so bad now do I Suzaku?

Kallen: Your brother really does not like him.

Derain: Suzaku is his most hated character in all manga and anime. And he reads and watches a LOT of manga and anime.

Suzaku: Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Lelouch: Kind of loud though isn't he?

Derain: He may not be a perfect editor but he is the most enthusiastic.

BRANNOTH: FOR ASGARD!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Disclaimer this file deals with cybernetic prosthetics and fictional drugs. Because I need my science fix

Technical File

Listing of various combat and medicinal drugs classified at Gamma Level. Compounds only to be utilized by Tier 1 and Tier 2 operatives

Torpor- Coma inducing metabolic suspension compound

A specialized drug created from research into the bio chemistry of hibernating bears. Capable of placing body into near perfect state of suspended animation.

Primary Usage - In this state subject can survive horrific injuries and blood loss while body is repaired. Also it allows extensive augmentation surgery to be carried out while minimizing damage to body's systems. Additional unless counter agent is injected the subject will remain in this coma from eight months to up to two years. Subjects report that it feels they're dying before losing consciousness.

Psych Report- Lazarus syndrome.

A psychological condition affecting those who have been roused from suspended animation multiple times. Is most prevalent among those who suffered terrible injuries that would have ordinarily killed them if not for the torpor injection. Especially ones who had to undergo reconstructive surgery.

Symptoms can include

- Depression

- A seeming apathy about the possibility of death or others death.

- Periods of existential angst

- Diminished capacity for emotional expression

- Nightmares

- A Pychosomatic physical reaction to implanted cybernetics. Phantom limb syndrome. itching. Sores on the skin. Scarring.

- Increased cravings for certain foods. Such as Pizza strangely enough.

- Extremely vivid recall of events that occurred just prior to injecting Torpor. Sometimes manifesting as waking dreams.

- Apathy in regards to physical pain or bodily harm.

- Suicidal behaviour

Loquac- truth serum.

A intravenously injected serum that removes the ability for the human brain to filter what they are saying.

Primary Usage- Excellent as a truth serum. However the window for extracting pertinent information is small. Eventually the subject begins babbling incessantly on even the most utterly banal of topics. As one operative put it. "Sure it can get them to talk its getting them to shut up that is the problem."

Ardor- mentally debilitating aphrodisiac.

Extremely limited production compound. Only ever used by the cuckoo division of the Crowmother's espionage network. Imbibed by ingestion added to a liquid. Triple purpose drug. Diminishes risk assessment and impairs judgement. Increases sexual desire and tactile sensation. Creates low grade stimulation of pleasure centre's.

Primary usage- To help place businessmen, public officials and military officers into compromising situations leaving them open to coercion and blackmail.

Additional repeated use on a subject over a prolonged period involving the same 'handler' can create a state of emotional dependency upon the one administering the drug. Effective for long term spying operations involving operatives acting as the mistresses of targets.

Focus- Adrenal reflex stimulator.

Results in 23 to 37 % increase in reflexes, hand eye coordination, mental reaction time and acuity. Subjects have demonstrated improved accuracy while firing on the move. Some describe the effect as 'watching the rest of the world slow down.'

Primary usage- Used by soldiers in combat situations and firefights.

Additional. Focus is rapidly metabolized by the body. Usage involves continous drip feed from implant or armor medic system. Over abuse of Focus can result in feelings of euphoria and become addictive. The drug must not be used for any time period longer than eight minutes or the risk of addiction rises exponentially. Additional a minimum of thirty seven minutes must pass between each usage. Auto injector systems have built in timers to prevent overuse.

TRA – Anti cybernetic rejection drug.

Primary usage to prevent build up of glial cells at the connection points between nerve endings and attached cybernetic prosthesis.

Note- Cyber rejection is not universal. 37% experience a diminishing of functionality. Only 22% can experience outright rejection unless regularly medicated using TRA.

Dull- Pain suppressant.

Short term pain blocker. Can be applied as local or general. Does not diminish mental aptitude or limb movement. Must be used with caution pain is the bodies warning system. Overuse or carelessness can result in people unknowingly injuring themselves.

Panacea- Anti bacterial serum

An extremely powerful anti bacterial serum distilled from the immune systems of genetically altered komodo dragons. The komodo dragon is a creature with one of the most powerful immune systems on the planet. It in fact uses the deadly bacteria that live in its mouth to help it kill its prey. Chemical recreation of the compounds used by its lymph nodes can make black knight troopers immune to almost any natural or weaponised bacterium.

Black Knights Medical Database Classification level Omega.

Listing of augmetic surgeries employed on REDACTED code Name Death

Omega Clearance Patient Listing- Patient 022

Blood type-O

Cranial connecter pads.

Small subdermal implants on skull that improve efficiency of neurohelmet in monitoring brainwave activity. Improves piloting and response time in use of his personal REDACTED by 27%.

Full body Intra muscular nano cabling

Thin strands of myomer nanocable are carefully interwoven alongside and within the existing muscle tissue to result in a 59% increase in physical strength. Muscle tissue is made more resistant to tearing and bruising. The time taken to complete surgery allowing for breaks one month. During this time the subject is maintained in suspended animation and kept suspended in a sterile aerogel container.

Note the procedure increases the user's strength in proportion to the strength of their muscles. If there are two physically similar individuals with nanocabling and one has exercised to maintain more developed muscles that one will be stronger.

Ceramic lattice grafting on skeletal structure

Bones are rendered virtually unbreakable by laminating skeletal structure with lattice of specialized ceramic carbon bonds. The lattice is done so as to allow open gaps for the bone to still produce blood cells

Artificial superoxygenated blood

Created from Dr Ichima's research into the biochemical properties of bears. A bears blood supply can store far more oxygen than a humans allowing them to hibernate through winter with minimal respiration. By injection of a specialized hormone into the bone marrow blood cell production is stimulated giving the subject a massive increase in physical endurance levels and the amount of time they can go without having to take a breath. Allowing them to engage in extended physical activity without exhaustion for greater time spans than a normal human. The blood can also be produced in host bodies before being given to Black Knight troopers through blood transfusion.

Prosthetic right eye 

Customised cyber eye with thermal/night vision, telescopic function, full data link up and processing capacity.

Patient 022 lost his right eye due to injuries sustained in operation MONGOOSE in Indonesia in 2013.

Improved sonic receptors.

Enhanced auditory receptors and analysis system attached to internal structure of both ears. Can be manipulated to increase volume of detected noises. Can also be used to filter and record different sounds.

Broadwave communicator and transmission device

Implanted in left shoulder and networked to prosthetic eye.

Haptic interfaces

Haptic interfaces are installed in the fingertips of both hands allowing the manipulation of 'mental' holograms generated by cyber eye and mask camera system.

Prosthetic Left arm and shoulder

Artificial arm with Myomer synthetic muscle cables and titanium steel bone frame.

300% increase in strength with safety limiters disabled. 150% increase in limb mobility and movement speed. Specialised pressure pads in arm and palm of hands allow subject to feel physical objects. A synthetic skin is worn over the arm it can be detatched if necessary by activating a chemical trigger that unseals the skins bonding with the synthetic muscle. The skin does not feel completely like normal skin. Patient 022's explanation in case people ask is that he severely burnt his arm as a child.

Patient 022 cut off his arm in order to avoid fatal REDACTED poisoning. This occurred at the Nanosato research facility, site of the CERN supercollider. To prevent Brittanians from seizing the facility Patient 022 demolished it by constructing a REDACTED. When activated it caused a REDACTED which completely destroyed the complex and everything within two hundred meters of the facility perimeter.

After being imbued with the power of REDACTED Patient 022's arm has developed an incredible elastic quality in the muscles allowing the arm to be rapidly extended and then contracted by a length of two meters.

Medidoc Internal health monitor.

Located in chest. Connected to several small devices and provides detailed medical information to subject. Controls emergency heart stimulator. As well as a device that can release the drug torpor to stabilize biology in event of both unconsciousness and extreme physical trauma.

Connects to armor computer allows for automatic or manual use of suit medical system.

Other medical information

A side effect of the prosthetic arm, bone grafting and intramuscle myomer cables is that Patient 022 is less buoyant than a man his size should be. While he will not sink he does require more physical exertion to keep his head above water unless he wears devices to compensate.

Notation on patient behavior.

The only pure cyber prosthesis used by patient 022 are those installed as a result of physical injury on the battlefield. He is of the opinion that cybernetic and other enhancement technologies should be used to improve and aid the natural body instead of simply replacing it with total cybernetic components. This places him amongst the majority of the conclave's scientists who believe in a more symbiotic man machine interface in regards to enhancing the troops. He maintains his body at peak efficiency through extensive physical exercise and training sessions with other enhanced troopers. He also practices meditation and mental exercises to improve his use of his implants and the body.

While he has made use of many of the gamma level drugs he has often showed a reluctance to use Dull unless the pain is in fact extremely debilitating. He seems to regard resisting pain as a test of mental fortitude.

On neural cybernetics.

The conclave has been successful in creating direct brain to computer hybridization in felines, canines and avians. However all attempts to create direct neural uplinks in primates have failed. Terminally. The closest they have come in humans is the neuro helmet a device that picks up the electromagnetic pulses in the brain associated with movement to maintain stabilization in a mechs gyros. It is also used in power armor to help the pilot move the limbs.

Authors note

Derain: Well we can finally see just how much hardware Luthur is packing hmm? Although he still has to work out and train to use it all to its full potential.

Kallen: Wow. So all that muscle isn't just cyborg ware.

Derain: I find the idea of cybernetics eliminating the need for exercise or self discipline troubling. Luthur may be a cyborg but he still earned his strength the hard way. The implants just raise the bar for him.

Luthur: Yeah but I think I got REDACTED an awful lot.

Derain: Think of it as an example of how secretive they've got to be in the Conclave. An organization that large can require a fair bit of record keeping. So you've got to be careful how much information is left on even the most mundane of documents if you don't want to reveal REDACTED. _Awkward pause. _"You see. Even I'm not immune to it."

Lelouch: We're getting in the area of mad science with some of this stuff.

Derain: Lets be clear there are lines in scientific development you cannot cross without being flipping evil. Non voluntary, uninformed human experimentation being one. Luther still offered Kenro a choice. It was a pretty crappy choice but he'd been about to kill him anyway and if Kenro had taken the painless option Luthur would have given it to him. The Conclave is not going to go that far. All of the augmentations and drugs they use have been extensively tested (some were even in development before the war) before they started using human volunteers. Of course when it comes to dead bodies and live animals they've done plenty of things that would have them arrested by nearly any court in the world. The crowborgs alone would have the RSPCA up in arms and we haven't even got to what they've done using cats.

Kallen: Those drugs are also pretty out there. What's with the Ardor?

Derain: Hey gaining intelligence in that way has been going on since the dawn of spying. The KGB in the cold war were possibly the most ruthless of them all. They had special camps where agents were trained in seduction and romancing people. A young married man working for an embassy has a night on the town with several amazing women. Next morning he's got a KGB control officer with the incriminating pictures that they won't show his wife in exchange for some help. Or a lonely and stressed female clerk in the state department who meets this really great guy. Sure he's interested in her work but it's not like he's a spy. Is it?

Kallen: That's cold.

Derain: The black knights aren't going to win just by pulling out their uber tech in every battle. Planning, preparation, intelligence and deception are needed for victory. As well as commitment. You think the spy corrupting a Brittanian officer is any less dedicated than the soldier on the battlefield?

Kallen: _Grudgingly _I see your point. Hey I notice Brannoth isn't back yet.

Derain: Generally he's only shows up in chapters where Suzaku's being a self righteous hypocrite.

Suzaku: Oh thank god.

Kallen: That's almost every time he turns up.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer

I don't own Code Geass or any of the other awesome things I intentionally or accidentally may reference in this. Now on with the story.

_More terrible than the lies we tell others are those we tell to ourselves _

– _Derain Von Harken_

Chapter 9

The Battle Maiden

**Middle Eastern Federation 2017 A.T.B **

In the desert region of Al Bikarn sixty five Brittanian tanks traded fire across the sands with a battle line of Djhows. The Djhows were quadrepedal mechas pulled forward on massive tracks allowing them to move across the desert terrain. Their extreme range cannons blasted away at the smaller tanks. Anti tank missiles fired from box launchers on the top wreaking havoc amongst the Brittanian armor. Smoke wreathed the sand. Blasted metal and fire flew in all directions. The thunder of guns drowning out the screams of crews who were not instantly killed when their tanks were shelled. The Djhow's heavier front armor deflecting the Brittanian cannon rounds. In the command room of the lead Djhow the sensor technician reported. "Enemy tank formation is breaking."

The commander grinned "Full ahead concentrate fire on the furthest away before they start to scatter." The Djhow battle line accelerated forward and then knightmares emerged.

For a moment the formation leader could not believe his eyes. Knightmares could not cross desert dunes their landspinners fouled almost instantly. "Gloucesters? They're supposed to be in Serefall. Fire." The cannons spoke. The raised height of the Djhows enabled them to effectively target enemy armor from great distance. But if the knightmares got in too close they'd be underneath the firing arc of the cannon. The knightmares rather then being bogged shot forward over the dunes as easily as if they were on concrete. Attached to their feet were strange mechanical skis that shunted them onwards. They dodged the increasingly frantic fire of the Djhows.

Leading them on with cloaks fluttering behind them were two purple coloured knightmares. Their pilots were the handpicked elite of Cornelia Britannia's 'Goddess of victory'. Andreas and Guilford.

"Stupid oversized imitation knightmares."

"They would have been wiser to surrender from the start."

They began weaving in between and under the mechas. They fired anti tank rounds and explosives into supporting joints and undersides causing the top heavy mechs to tumble over.

Behind the hobbled mecha a domed fortress exploded into flame. The commander looked to his rear cameras in shock. "What?" standing amongst the flames was a knightmare with communication arrays extending out like horns. "Cornelia? A single unit did this?"

His surprise was short lived as the engines of his fallen mech exploded burning him away into ash.

Amongst the flames Cornelia calmly assessed her enemies destruction. "Another victory area Eighteen has been established."

The voice of her knights crackled over the com. "My lady about our next course of action?"

"Sorry to have you clean up after my foolish younger brother."

On the screen the scarred knight gave a wry smile. "Please don't apologise milady. We live to serve and our place is with you."

Cornelia smiled. "So you think area Eleven needs our usual treatment?"

"Yes my lady."

"Good."

She deactivated the com screen allowing herself a moment of privacy. _I'll drive you into the open Zero. Clovis will be avenged._

The Devil and the Witch

**Area 11 Ashford Academy 2017 A.T.B**

Lelouch was exhausted as he walked towards the main room of his flat with nunnally. Luthur had remained behind with Ohgi and the others. He would show them the location of one of their storage areas so they could get better equipment. Luthur would then sleep at a safehouse instead of coming home. In fact he would be out of contact until late evening tomorrow or even the day after.

Lelouch envied him in a way. The Lady Kami had been acting odd around Zero before they left. He fingered the envelope she'd passed him. He still wasn't sure what it was. A mystery for tomorrow now all he had to do was open the door say "I'm Back" and …

See the green haired woman from Shinjuku.

Alive and making paper cranes with Nunnally

"I see you're back Lelouch." The swishing of the automatic door broke his utterly stunned silence.

"C.C and I were worried about you." Nunnally smiled. The thin silver circlet holding her hair back as she sat next to the young lady. Lying at the end of the table the pale horse plushie looked forlornly back at him.

"I'm assuming you ate out tonight given your appearance."

"Thank goodness. I was worried you'd got caught up in all that commotion. By the way is Luthur allright?"

"Uhh yes he … he has to go to a meeting tomorrow morning. He'll be back after lunchtime. Uhh" Lelouch's brain was slowly recovering from the outright shock.

"Oh good. Although maybe you should have told him you had a girlfriend. That is how you know C.C right?"

"He made a promise about our future together."

"Marriage?"

"She's kidding"

"No I'm not."

"Well you are a bit young for that but they say you never know when you meet that special someone."

Crash. Lelouch finally reigniting his brain knocked off a teacup onto the floor. "Oh C.C look you've spilled tea all over yourself." He grabbed her by the hand and pulled her out of the room. "Come on we'd better get you into a dry change of clothes. Oh and she was kidding earlier it was just a joke. A joke"

Nunnally paused thoughtfully. Then turned towards the pale horse. "That's odd the sound of the broken cup was at least a meter away from where C.C was sitting. I wonder why? Hmmm" _Why would my brother want an excuse to get her out of … Oh._

"Who are you?" Lelouch crossed his arms and made sure he was positioned to block her leaving by the door.

"You heard your sister my name is C.C"

"That's not what I meant why aren't you…"

"Supposed to be dead right."

"I was going to say incoherent. I've never seen anyone shot in the head like that who survived with their minds undamaged."

The witch seemed to pause for a moment at his phrasing. "So did you like the power I gave you." She turned and smiled at him coyly.

"So it was you." His eye glowed red for a moment.

:Dissatisfied?"

"On the contrary it allows me to speed up our schedule considerably which is a huge help."

"Your schedule?"

"Yes the schedule for obliterating Brittania. Without your help my Brother and I would have had to wait another year before we could have made the initial move."

The girls face was a mask of disinterest. As if discussing the destruction of a superpower was as mundane as asking for sugar with tea. "You believe you can do it just by using that power?"

Lelouch's smirk turned to a chuckle. "Don't be too proud of yourself I've been preparing for this war for seven years. Your gift is a tremendously powerful asset. It is not the only one at my command. I was fully prepared to commence my plans without it."

C.C sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "I just knew he would turn out to be an interesting guy."

"What will you do now? The military will be looking for you."

"Not the entire military just a small faction and you killed quite a few of them in Shinjuku. So it won't be hard to find a hiding place." Lelouch began to blush as she pulled off her blouse and pants. "So I can make do here."

"You intend to stay here?"

She pulled the covers up over her nose. "A gentleman would sleep on the floor."

"You can't mean to stay here." Lelouch lent over her so his eyes were level with hers.

"If I wander around outside they will find me. And me getting caught would create problems for you as well."

"This isn't about you It's my situation."

"I hate stubbornness. Besides you can sleep wherever your brother does. I wonder what power he got?" Then she closed her eyes and ignored any further attempts to rouse her.

Lelouch sat down. "How have you managed to survive before this?" _This woman is aggravating. I wonder how Luthur will react? _

The Reaper

"Hey all you free and happening cats in Tokyo. This is Jet Set radio Future. For the past seven years I the Doctor have been blowing your minds with my crazy sounds and filling your hearts with the beat of the street. Now I know some of you been worrying that the Brits were finally gonna shut down our little pirate radio station of freedom. But they've got bigger fruit to slice now folks. Yeah I'm talking about ZEEEEROOOO. That crazy mask wearing vigilante and his bone wearing henchman Shinigami who introduced our cough cough beloved viceroy Clovis to DECAPITATIONNNN. In fact I've been hearing that the Geegees, the immortals and every other street gang in every ghetto in the land has been commemorating this event with some truly inspiring street art. Yeah. They're some gems there folks. I love the one where a bunch of women are all hoping that Shinigami will come and carry them away on his cycle of bad ass. So Zero and Shingami if you're out there this next track is for you. Keep that Fruit salad coming."

It was the next morning and Luthur grinned as the techno music blazed over his radio earpiece. Considering how upbeat the doctor kept being despite these last seven years listening to him report good news was even more impressive. Luthur was sitting at a console going over news reports of the spontaneous attacks around Japan. At Itsikushima an office building for a Brittanian construction company had been wired with explosives on the tenth floor. The civilians had been evacuated but the building had collapsed. At Kochi ten town blocks had been deprived of power when a garbage truck had been rammed into the electric utility building. And at Hiroshima over fifty Brittanian tourists had been taken hostage, robbed and then tied up by a squad from the blood of the samurai group. Who'd promptly left killing half of the special response units who'd tried to stop them.

Of course anyone watching the news would not have known that the construction companies competitor in Area 11 was owned by the conclave. Or that the power loss in Kochi crashed the security systems for several other buildings. Or even how in Hiroshima the massive distraction created by the blood of the samurai allowed some people to infiltrate the police centre and blow up the evidence room. As well as leave behind some very special surprises for a later date. Even the independent resistance groups provided opportunities for the conclave.

Luthur grinned as he drank deep of his own special variant of cococola. He'd never understood why people drank coffee. To him it had always tasted terrible.

His phone rang. "Hello."

"Is this mister Pale?"

"Christopher Pale and yes I am he."

"I have a little bird who wants to talk to you."

"Mrs Nightingale I presume." _Ah the crowmother._

"Indeed I'll put you on."

On the other end of the phone a beautiful Japanese woman lay back on a recliner a wine glass held in her right hand. "Mister Pale how good to speak to you again." Her voice was like heated silk rubbed through your ears.

"The pleasure is mine. I am sorry that that we couldn't hold off the date as long as you wanted."

"Oh I got over it. Besides have you heard the news? Margrave Jeremiah has lost his command."

"Really? Well maybe he just wasn't cut out for the job."

"Perhaps. Certainly relations between the army, the civil administration and the police are very unsettled at the moment. Plus with all the commotion the military police got around to protesting his high handed usurping of their authority in the matter of sentencing"

"I take it that not everyone agrees on his innocence?"

"It's delicious. Even the ones who don't believe him can't agree with each other. Half of them think this orange is some criminal fraud he was involved in. The other half think it's something Clovis was in on and Jeremiah is taking the fall for him."

"Yes the more they all pretend to be of like mind the more they sharpen daggers for each others backs."

The Devil and the Witch

C.C looked across at Lelouch while she dug into a Pizza Box. "So what is this Orange anyway?"

"For someone who doesn't answer questions you certainly ask a lot of them."

"If you don't want to answer you don't have to. Just like I don't."

Lelouch smirked "There is no Orange. Its something I made up. But the more they look and find nothing the darker their suspicions about what it might be will become. Who knows it might turn out he really did do something."

The Reaper

"By the way how is that back stage pass I got for you doing?"

"It's everything you promised and more darling. In fact my biggest concern is us getting too used to it. Can't have us losing our touch because we made things too easy."

"I'm glad you're pleased."

"Yes. Strange about Suzaku you'd think he would jump at the chance to take revenge for his betrayal."

"So would I but it would appear his sense of duty or his naivety is greater than his sense of survival."

"Well either way he will end up looking the picture perfect image of a loyal Brittanian subject. I hear they're acquitting him today." Now a faint hint of bitterness was leaking through.

Luthur's mouth twisted like he'd just eaten a lemon "I see. Well I have something else I should go do now. See you around Ms Nightingale it was a pleasure as always."

The Devil and the Witch

The witch looked through the images on several newspapers. "Everyone on earth is looking for you. Because of you the world is going through an upheaval. Is this what you wanted?"

"No." Lelouch finished putting on his coat and looked back at her with narrowed eyes. His voice cold and yet tinged with a dreadful anticipation. "This is only the beginning. The world is destined to descend into a maelstrom of even greater and more destructive chaos."

The Knight and the Princess.

"In the sentencing of Private Kururugi We hereby acquit you on lack of evidence."

Suzaku was stunned as he left the courthouse. A more diligent observer might have believed he sounded slightly disappointed. "I can't believe it I'm free." The wrap around sunglasses did not completely cover the cuts on his face from earlier.

"Clear the way. Look out below."

Suzaku looked up to see. _What the heck? _A pink haired woman was descending on a flimsy rope right towards his head. He reached out his arms to grab her and she hit him like a bright pink comet bearing him to the ground. Suzaku felt a bit dazed as the pinkette rested on his chest. "Uhm hello."

They got back up "I'm sorry I wasn't aware you were down here until I had leaped."

Suzaku looked up to see the rudimentary rope she'd woven from bedsheets. "That's okay I wasn't expecting a girl to come flying out of the air and into my arms. Are you in trouble?"

"Uhm yes. The truth is bad guys are chasing me so all things considered could you lead me away from here."

Suzaku was so bemused by what was going on and perhaps still a little stunned from having a blue eyed pinkette fall on him that he agreed. "Very well milady lets lead you on a tour of the Tokyo settlement."

So the pair of them set off.

The Burned

Lord Kewell and several of his fellows stood in a darkened communication room. "We must deal with this Orange character before Princess Cornelia arrives."

"Thanks to him the loyalty of us purebloods has been called into question."

The com tech looked at them all with disbelief. "Are the reports we've been hearing true Lord Jeremiah was bribed?"

Kewell looked past the tech at a live feed of Jeremiah ordering about soldiers at a blockade. "Do you know what Orange is then?" The tech looked away.

"In any case Lord Jeremiah is definitely hiding something. Saying he can't remember ordering Kururugis release. Bartley offered the same excuse. And didn't he order two knightmares into an ambush while he picked up a dummy?"

Meanwhile in her knightmare at a blockade Villetta Nu watched Jeremiah and pondered _Lord Jeremiah's memory is muddled just like the guards at the G-1 Base and also mine_. A hazy red colored memory of a figure standing amongst the royal guards corpses. It had been humiliating when she woke hour's later bound hand and foot. She'd had to cut herself free using some scrap lying around the room. She rubbed her throat as she thought of how the reaper had looked at her back on the bridge. _It was if he recognized me but from where?_

The Princess and the Knight

Suzaku and the pinkette continued along a park pathway. "So what's your name anyway?"

She hesitated "Its ah Euphy."

"Euphy? Hmm well my name is."

"Don't tell me. You're a celebrity. Son of the late prime minister Genbu Kururugi. Private Suzaku Kururugi."

Suzaku frowned and turned away. His face set in an attempt to look serious. "You lied before. There isn't anyone chasing you is there?" He turned back and she was gone. _Where? _She had walked into the park where she was down on her knees meowing to a cat. _This girl._ Suzaku was beginning to understand the meaning of exasperating.

"Oh does the kitties paw hurt. Meoow, meow, meooow."

"Mrow?" The cat with a somewhat piratical darker patch of fur on one side of its face began nuzzling her hand.

"Meow meow."

Suzaku walked over and grinned. Euphy was holding up the cat and smiling. Suzaku reached forward to pet the cat as well. Which hissed and bit into his finger.

"Oh my."

Later they both sat on some steps while Euphy bandaged the cats leg. "So you don't like cats?"

"Oh I like them just fine." Suzaku reached out to the little furball. "Unfortunately." The cat hissed. "The attraction is not mutual."

"I think unrequited love is the mark of a kind person." The cat leapt away from Suzaku. "Ohh the kitty ran away."

"Uhmm Euphy why did you tell that lie when we met?"

"Do you ask because you're concerned about me?"

"Well of course."

Euphys face lit up. "Good so you can accompany me some more. Come on it will be fun." She grabbed his arm and off they went again.

They wandered thorough the settlement. Suzaku started laughing when Euphy copied the pose of a store front dummy. As they walked she told him more about herself. "The settlement is just like Brittania I feel right at home."

"You're from the homeland?"

"Yes. I was a student there until a week ago I moved here just recently."

"By student do you mean high school? You can sight seeing anytime can't you?" Suzaku's question was slightly muffled as they chewed through a pair of chicken wraps.

"You ask a lot of questions don't you."

"Sorry."

"Oh I didn't mean it like that its just that today is the last day of my vacation. I wanted to see as much of Area Eleven as I could because I want to know what kind of place it is." When she finished that question they both looked up to see a news report about Zero on a large public address screen. Suzaku kept Euphy from seeing his scowl.

"Well you didn't need me for that."

"No I'm glad I could see it with you. Uhmm Suzaku could you take me to one more place please."

Suzaku made a mock bow. "You're wish is my command milady where to?"

"Take me to the Shinjuku Ghetto."

Suzaku stepped back, the Ghetto.

"Suzaku Kururugi." For the first time since he'd met her she looked serious. "Please escort me there."

The Devil and the Witch

Atop the school building Lelouch was having a conversation with C.C "What happened to staying in hiding?"

"Oh relax I never leave the school grounds." She did a pirouette before she leaned against a rail.

"That's not the point you don't belong."

"I don't belong anywhere. Hmm what's she doing?"

"Oh she's at it again is she?" In the courtyard below a smiling girl was marking a cross on the wall. "She'll be doing that every day until the end of the year. I put in a time limit on the Geass just in case the effect is permanent. Luthur is unhappy enough with me testing it on students as it is."

"Geass the ancient Celtic word for a magical compulsion apt. So you're testing how long it lasts?"

"It's a new weapon I need to know its specs if I'm to use it effectively. So be careful or I might use it on you."

"Wouldn't work on me." Lelouch narrowed his eyes at that statement he really had not considered that. "Oh relax you, me and your brother are in this together. I won't do anything to endanger us or our partnership. Speaking of where is he?"

The Princess and the Knight

**The Shinjuku Ghetto memorial**

Death was broken walls of concrete with letters posted on. Poles were stuck in the ground with photos of loved ones tacked on. Personal trinkets lay at the base. Strips of paper with Japanese script fluttered in the wind like lonely banners. Most of the mourners had left and a few candles in glass cups still burned sheltered from the wind.

Suzaku and Euphy looked out at the makeshift memorial set up in the park. "The Shinjuku ghetto ruined again. He residents were starting to return too."

For a minute the pair simply watched as wind moved tiny paperwheels and all the other trinkets of lost lives and mourning families were gently rocked by the breeze.

"They didn't use AG rounds on the elevens I thought they wouldn't."

"Hey check out these marks from a hummer round. Get a clear shot of it."

"Say Cheese. Okay me next."

Both of them turned around. Up the slope a pair of Brittanian students were taking photos of a broken statue. The thinner of the pair posing by the marks left from military ordnance.

The Orange

Jeremiahs Harrier sped alone through the streets leading to Shinjuku. "You are certain this information is accurate? Zero has been sighted in sector 4 of the ghetto?"

"Yes Sir Lord Kewell contacted me."

"Very well set up a cordon around Shinjuku sector 4 immediately."

"Yes sir cordoning sector 4." The communication officer leant back "Well Lord Kewell the ball is in your court now." He turned to exchange a grin with his fellow. Only to freeze when a swordblade was held level with his head.

Behind them Villetta Nu was standing her sword held out and from the angle where the soldier was sitting showing a fair bit of leg. "I was hoping to speak to Lord Jeremiah but I can see you're busy."

The Princess, the Knight and the Reaper.

The student's camera fell to the ground as a group of bandana wearing Japanese surrounded them. Leading them was Tamaki. "Get out of here you damn Brittanian bastards." The two students leaned back in surprise and fear. It didn't last as they the fat one mustered up his outrage.

"H-how dare a lowly eleven speak to me that way."

"Don't call me an eleven I'm Japanese."

The thinner of the pair cut in. "Wrong you're forgetting that you lost the war you're nothing but a beaten dog."

Tamaki clenched his fist clearly ready to paste the students head all over the floor. "You racist pig."

"Stop fighting." They all turned to see a sun glasses wearing youth charging towards them. "Please no violence."

"Stay out of this." Tamaki smacked the man in the head and the sunglasses flew off.

The students stammered. "Y-You're that."

Tamaki finished for them. "Suzaku Kururugi."

"The guy who killed Clovis."

Tamaki sneered. "This guy. No. Zero killed Clovis. This is the scum who crawled back to his masters even after Zero rescued him. Yeah you're an honorary Brittanian who gives a shit. You sold your pride, your people, your soul yet you dare call yourself Japanese."

At this Suzaku's eyes narrowed in pain. "You're wrong."

"I am not wrong you stinking Brittanian lapdog." Tamaki screamed as he moved to punch Suzaku. But Suzaku grabbed his arm and used the Japanese's momentum to flip him onto his back.

"Please no more. I've been trained in military combat. Don't make me fight my own people."

"They are not your people Suzaku." The voice came from around the edge of the statue's base. Everyone turned to see a huge man in a dark leather trench coat. His black hair swaying in the wind, his cold blue eyes watching them all. In his left hand he was holding the severed head of the broken statue. Suzaku stared _The man with Lelouch_?

The students stammered "M-Mister Lamplerouge."

"In becoming an honorary Brittanian you chose to renounce the culture and nation of you birth. By your own sworn word you are no more Japanese then these students here."

Tamaki and the others looked nervously at the unknown giant and then at Suzaku. "Come on Tamaki he's not worth it." Grudgingly they all moved out though not without one final parting shot. "Traitor."

Euphy rushed up behind Suzaku holding his bag. "Suzaku. Oh dear are you okay"

"Yeah I am." He turned "Thank you Mister Lamplerouge."

The two students picked up the camera as Luthur reverently took the statues head. And placed it near its feet.

"Well I'm not okay look at my Prime G." One of the students was holding up his camera.

"Why did you wait you could have taken them apart, some honorary Brittanian you are."

"Yeah they were just dumb elevens what's it matter to a guy like you."

"Thank him." The cold voice of Luthur froze both boys in their tracks.

"What Mr Lamplerouge?"

The giant turned around to look at the students. "In a society built on Social Darwinism the elevation of the unworthy is to be despised. Neither of you have performed any act of strength, intellect or accomplishment which would raise you above him. Above the one who just saved your hides from being pounded into bleeding pulp by those 'elevens' just now. So thank him. Unless you hold yourselves to be above me as well?"

With that he did not scowl or threaten. He simply took notice of them. With extreme prejudice.

"U-Uhmm." They both turned to Suzaku and bowed their heads. "Thank you Private Kururugi for helping us." With that they both jogged away. With extreme enthusiasm.

"You didn't need to do that."

Luthur's face was still cold. "I did not do it for you. Racism is an indulgence of the weak willed. Of those who wish to elevate themselves above others while doing nothing to earn it. Only by punishing such weakness can we drive people to overcome it within themselves."

Suzaku was surprised. He'd never heard a Brittanian using social Darwinism as an argument against racism. Although it did make sense.

"What brings you here?" Suzaku was still suspicious of this man who was supposedly Lelouch's brother but he didn't know how to bring up the subject around strangers.

"To pay my respects to the fallen and to destroyed works of beauty." Luthur turned and ran his hand along the delicate features of the stone head. "I finished my prayers for the dead some time ago. I was just looking for the head of this statue."

Euphy spoke up. "What's special about this statue?"

"Look closely at it." They did and even damaged the beauty and grace of the stonework was apparent. It almost looked like the head was about to burst into tears so lifelike was the carving. "This statue was the last public commission of Serena Utskabe. Recognised as the greatest Japanese sculptor of her generation and childhood friend to the imperial princess. I own a few of her remaining works."

"Is she dead?"

"No she is alive and as talented as ever. Of course being an eleven no one will sponsor or purchase her work. Despite or perhaps because she is so very talented. Much of her property was stolen in the war. What work she can sell rarely fetches the price it is truly worth. Now she has to make ends meet as a prostitute. Although I understand there are Brittanians who pay extra for her services. They enjoy making a woman who achieved so much more than they into their whore. Oh my apologies for my language young lady."

Luthur seemed perturbed by the pinkette standing behind Suzaku whose face had become a little queasy as Luthur's story went on.

"That's alright Mr Lamplerouge." Was it imagination or did she seem a little bothered by his name?

The Devil and the Witch.

Lelouch had led C.C back to his room. He would have shown her the underground base but he and Luthur had agreed that they would both have to decide to let someone new in. He spoke to her as he typed information onto his computer which transmitted straight down to the base's central databank. The glasses on his face made it appear to him as if several other screens of glowing information were floating in the air around him. Data on the human brain and the structure of the eye. There were also some speculative notes on psychic abilities that they'd retrieved from Clovis's files. Which were beginning to make a lot more sense. "The Geass power is single use. It only works through eye contact. Transparent objects like window or eye glass present no barrier. It has a range of two hundred and seventy meters. The subject has no memory of events just before during or after its use. I theorise that this is a result of the geass interfering with the short term memory centre of the brain. It may be this effect that renders the subject immune to any subsequent commands. Also if the signal is optical than perhaps it can be reflected."

"You've been very thorough in learning about it."

"My enemy is an empire controlling over a third of the planet carelessness is not an option."

"I'd understand if you were an eleven but aren't you and Luthur Brittanian? Even with Geass and these resources you mention this enemy may be too strong to defeat."

"Strength alone is nothing. Will is everything. Besides is it good to be strong?"

"Is it bad to be weak?" Suzaku spoke to Euphemia looking at the cracked statue's head lying at its own feet. "Back when I was ten the world seemed like such a terribly sad place. A world without any hope at all."

Lelouch's eyes narrowed. "Starvation."

"Disease."

"Filth and decay."

"Racism." Luthur's cold voice joined the chorus.

"Constant war and terrorism."

Suzaku's face was calm. "Living in a never ending cycle of hate."

"Rats running in a wheel."

"The cycle must be broken somebody has to do it." At Suzaku's words Luthur looked at him with speculation.

"How idealistic." The witch turned away from the window where Lelouch watched his little sister.

"Of course it's doubtful that the one who does it will make all the bad things go away."

Lelouch was calm. "I'm not that arrogant. And so …"

"No one should lose more of the people they love."

"My brother believes in the power of science to uplift mankind. To raise us to the stars as he puts it. But for me at the least...

"A world without war."

The witch was silent for only a moment. "And to achieve this utopia you will?"

"Its simple." And Lelouch tipped over a chess piece. "When somebody wins the fighting will end."

"Somebody?" and at that he showed the smile of the devil about to claim a soul.

"I don't know how you'd do it. But if I stop trying then my father's death will have been in vain." At those words Luthur eyes widened.

"The reason you do this is for your father?" His voice sounding shocked and slightly awed.

Euphy spoke up "Prime Minister Kururugi's Death?"

At this Suzaku's voice sounded at last angry and defiant. "My own father died because he had to sacrifice his life in that war."

For a while there was no sound. Then Luthur spoke. "I have misjudged you Suzaku Kururugi. Like many I did not believe you would return after Zero rescued you. Yet now I see. You honestly want to rise in ranks and affect change because you believe your fathers sacrifice will be vindicated." He grudgingly smiled. "Your chances of succeeding are even smaller than Zero's chances of freeing area eleven through war. But who am I to judge a man who would endure the hatred of so many in his quest to uphold his fathers will. History is often made by those who strive for what is impossible."

Suzaku and Euphy smiled back at this cold man who now spoke admiringly of Suzaku's seemingly impossible hope. But then his face went serious again.

"But even if I now understand and can respect your goals I would not follow you Suzaku. For two reasons."

"Why?"

"First you spoke of a cycle of hatred. Do you think the soldiers who gunned down these innocents hated them? They probably felt nothing for them any more than I would feel grief at stepping on a cockroach. Hatred is born of pain and passion. But indifference? That requires no effort at all. The fact that you believe it is hatred betrays an overly simple view of why people kill one another."

Euphemia now looked defiantly back at him. "The second?"

At this Luthur looked weary. "Because I have noticed a trend amongst people, miss Euphy. They will go with the man who has a plan. Even if the plan is horrifying. Rather than the well meaning idealist who boldly states that he has not got a clue."

An explosion echoed across the park. Suzaku and Euphy turned to see a pillar of smoke rising from an abandoned stadium. When Suzaku looked back Luthur had disappeared. _How does someone that big move that fast? _

He and Euphy ran to the base of the hill where the ASEEC trailer pulled up in front of them. Cecile opened the side door. "You have to come with us now it isn't safe."

"What's happening?"

Lloyd spoke up. "It seems the purebloods are having a squabble. We'd better get out of here." Then he smiled like a cat who had just eaten a bird. "Oh by the way shame about your acquittal seems you're back to working for me."

"Wait please. Isn't this an opportunity to gain battle data for the Lancelot?"

At this Lloyd raised his eyebrows over the rim of his glasses. "Ahah."

"Suzaku?"

Suzaku turned back to the pinkette. "I'm sorry Euphy I need to do this. I think I can stop this battle with the Lancelot. I have to try " His face hardened "I must."

The Orange

"Damn you Kewell." Jeremiah swung his bayoneted rifle at the knight's head. They'd stabbed it through the firing chamber but he could still use it as a close combat weapon. One of the purists knightmares was a testament to Jeremiahs aim as it crawled across the ground with its legs blown off. But the others circled. He spun the harrier to dodge the first lance strike then the second spinning his bayonet to carve across the cockpit. But even with the harriers tracking abilities he could not outmaneuver the third strike which caught him in the leg bringing him to his knees. "Kewell." He roared like a wounded lion.

"Spare me your outrage Orange. We serve the imperial family. Why else would we be here. This is how we keep our officials honest." At that they all kicked up clouds of dust and charged forwards to skewer him. "All hail Brittania." Jeremiah realized in that moment his death was nigh. With calm fatalism he held his long rifle. Perhaps he could take out at least one of them before the end.

Suddenly a slash harken launched into the dirt in front of Kewell. The Brittanians stopped, turning their eyes to the shining white figure standing on the edge of the stadium.

"Stop it you're all Brittanian soldiers."

Jeremiah was more amazed than he'd ever been in his life. "Suzaku Kururugi helping me? With the advanced weapon Lancelot?"

Kewell regained his composure. "What business does the special core have here? Interlopers will die."

"NO" at that special scabbards attached to the cockpit tilted downwards and the knightmare pulled dual long swords into its hands. The swords glowed the pink of Sakuradite along their central lines before contracting and turning a bloody red. "I can't stand aside and ignore this senseless battle."

"Oh my god they've perfected the MVS's." But Kewell would not give up. "Too late I will not back down." The Purists all started firing their slash harkens even as the Lancelot leapt into the air to dodge their fire. He swung his blades severing the cables as he fell downwards. A he landed he blocked a lance strike and then kicked his attacker in the knee sending him down. The second had his frame's arm severed at the elbow by a perfect strike of the MVS. The Maser Vibration Sword carving the metal in twain.

Kewell could see that they would lose this fight. "Damn it I can at least kill Orange." He charged right at the harriers exposed cockpit block. Jeremiah stopped it with his harrier's stun tonfa but the wounded servos began to creak in protest a few more moments and then. A Sutherland dropped between them and forced Kewell to retreat with its rifle pointed squarely at his head.

"Lord Jeremiah." Viletta's voice was the most welcome thing he'd heard all day.

"Viletta thanks."

The Lancelot moved into a guard position in front of Jeremiah. "Still want to fight?"

Kewell assessed the situation before him now they were outnumbered as well. "Men stand down."

"You understand then?"

Kewell flicked a switch and a hip compartment on his knightmare opened. "I'm using a chaos mine." He imputed the target data into the mine's system and flung it towards the three of them. Just as a pink haired woman ran out amongst them.

"Please stop."

The mine activated as it flew it fired a storm of superheated flechettes capable of chewing through knightmare armor. Suzaku activated the blaze luminous shields and held firm as they bounced off the twin green diamonds. The internal core of the Lancelot accelerating to cope with the energy drain of sustaining the shield against such continuous bombardment. Bits of metal passed the edges carving divots out of the Lancelot's feet and head. But not a one touched the young woman sheltering behind him. Then at last the storm ended.

Surrounded by smoke the woman stepped forward her face set and commanding.

"That honorary Brittanian he risked his life to save..."

"Everyone lower your weapons at once. In my name I command you. I am Euphemie Li Brittania of the empire and third princess of the royal family."

Suzaku looked like he'd been slapped in the face with a fish. "Euphy?"

"I'm assuming command here now fall back."

Cecile stood in a doorway holding a riot shield. "Did you know it was her Lloyd?"

"Yes but she is still a student. She has not made her public debut yet."

Kewell gulped and as one the remaining purists knelt. "We. We are truly sorry your highness."

Suzaku hopped out of the Lancelot and knelt as well. "Forgive me your highness I didn't know."

"Suzaku." He stopped talking as she looked at him. "You and I share a deep pain. You have lost your father as I have lost my brother." His eyes opened as shadows of his own memory mocked him. "Will you let me help you in your quest to see that no other knows the pain of losing a loved one on the battlefield."

"Yes. I am unworthy of your kindness."

And Euphemia smiled at the humble knight.

The Devil and the Witch

C.C fingered the envelope. "So who is this from?"

"Oh that it was given to me by that lady Kami who was backing the group I used to rescue Suzaku. I believe it is a place for another meeting. Hey don't open that."

C.C had opened the letter and was reading it. "You are hereby invited to discuss matters of mutual interest at the Harlequin." She didn't finish reading because Lelouch snatched the letter out of her hands. "Pretty ornate for a simple meeting request."

"Don't you know it's rude to read someone else's mail?"

"You weren't reading it. So what is the Harlequin?"

"I've never been there. It's a five star themed restaurant where everyone including the servers wears a mask. She's got a private booth. She's suggesting I wear a different mask that will let me eat the food. She's even telling me what name to ask for her under. Another false identity I imagine."

"You're hardly one to throw stones there. Well you are precocious I'll give you that. First it's overthrowing the world now you're romancing masked women at high society eateries."

"It's not like that. She just wants to discuss military business in a pleasant environment."

The witch leaned back and smiled "Of course she is of course."

The Battle Maiden and the Princess

Night had fallen. The lights of the settlement shining up into the sky. In one of the VTOL hanger bays of the government citadel a delegation awaited the passengers of the huge fortress plane that had just landed. Euphemia stood with two rows of soldiers flanking her. Stepping out of the massive aircraft was her sister Cornelia. Her own soldiers lined up on either side. Cornelia spoke. "I heard what you did earlier today Euphemia. You shouldn't be so reckless."

"I know sister forgive me but…"

"You will address me as viceroy sub-viceroy Euphemia. Because we are sisters we have to follow a stricter protocol."

"Yes I understand."

Cornelia smiled then turned her head slightly towards the government adjutant on her right an average man with a handlebar moustache. "Now then give me your report."

"Yes milady. The first order of business is a party we've prepared in you honor uhh." He abruptly stopped speaking as Cornelia leveled a vintage cavalry pistol at his head.

"Sloppy, senile and corrupt." Cornelia's calm mask evaporated into anger. "Where's Zero I want the enemy of the empire caught! Get Zero." and on the edge of one of the VTOL's wings a crow cawed mockingly.

Author's note

Derain: That's right Cornelia. They're watching you.

Lelouch: All I need is a cat and I'll feel like I'm a James Bond villain.

Derain: One cat coming up in the next episode. Where we'll learn just what Luthur's going to have you volunteer for.

Lelouch: Damnit that's not what I meant.

C.C: And later we might see you go on a date.

Lelouch: It's not a date.

C.C: You were right Derain he is clueless.

Kallen: Interesting how those terrorist attacks were also acts of industrial espionage.

Derain: The Black knights usually have several objectives every time they do anything. Plus while they are blasting down the door with a gun they're probably also doing something sneaky behind your back. That way even if they don't completely win they still get something out of it.

I did love the comparison between Lelouch and Suzaku in their dual speech thing. Plus I got to paraphrase the joker in a way that was not so evil.

Suzaku: But what's with Luthur suddenly not hating me?

Derain: Well his reaction is similar to mine when I first watched the series and heard your reason for what you did. He still doesn't agree with you but now he's convinced that you and your motivations are not naïve self serving garbage. Who knows maybe your example will help Brittania start to reform itself after they've kicked them out of REDACTED. Sigh, they got me again.

Kallen: What happens when Luthur finds out the truth?

Derain: He will react badly.

Luthur: THE SKY WILL RAIN FIRE AND THE SEAS WILL BE AS BLOOD.

Derain: Very, very badly.

On another note I feel the need to clear up something. My Brother simply hates Suzaku and wants to smash him. I actually spent some time trying to figure out why Suzaku is the way he is. Admittedly that knowledge didn't make me dislike him any less but I did come to pity him in a way. I will gradually share this insight as we progress through the story. Also to clarify Brannoth is only allowed to smite Suzaku when Suzaku commits an act of Self righteous hypocrisy. Otherwise he'd be smiting Suzaku in every single chapter.

Suzaku: Well that's a relief.

Derain: Of course that whole story about your fathers self sacrifice which completely took in Euphemia and Luthur definitely applies.

Suzaku: Well I'm safe he's still down working on your mother's cottage.

Derain: Sigh. You know what I said about sharing insight into your character?  
Suzaku: Yes

Derain: The quotation at the start of this chapter. It mainly refers to you.

A Thunder hammer flies in the window and smashes Suzaku in the head. Then turns around and whacks him into a wall. Before flying back out the window.

BRANNOTH's face appears on the giant computer screen.

BRANNOTH: Remote Smiting from ninety miles away. BITCH.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own code geass or darksiders. But this is still awesome.

_Those who attack strike from the heights of the sky. Those who defend hide in the depths of the earth._

_The Art of War_

Chapter 10

**Ashford Academy **

It was morning and Lelouch was sitting with the rest of the class in amazement at their newest member.

"My name is Suzaku Kururugi I'll be a student at Ashford academy."

By the time the class ended the students had already started whispering.

"Isn't he the one who killed Clovis?"

"That was zero. The court cleared him of those charges."

"He was suspicious enough to arrest though. What if he's dangerous?"

"Of course he isn't, the school board would know something like that."

Shirley and Nina were off to the side.

"I'm frightened Shirley an Eleven at school?  
Rivalz butted in. "He is an honorary Brittanian."

"I know but still."

Shirley smiled "Well he doesn't look all that scary to me why don't we talk to him I'm sure he's nice."

"Hang on a minute the guy just got here, leave him some space."

From where they stood, they could not see the reaction on Suzaku's face as Lelouch passed by him. Suzaku turned his head and as Lelouch approached the door he pulled up the cuff of his shirt.

Ten minutes later

Suzaku walked out onto the roof to see Lelouch leaning against a banister.

"Seven years since we used this signal." Lelouch repeated the pull on his collar. "Long time huh?"

"Meeting you on the roof like the old days." Suzaku smiled. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Alive and kicking thanks to you. You almost died trying to protect us."

"Yeah about that."

"Ah you wonder about Luthur. Yes to be clear everyone here believes him to me my brother. We actually tell them he's my half brother if anyone presses on it."

"Huh." Suzaku's face then grew anxious. "What about the girl you know the one from the capsule."

"I don't know we got separated after. Luthur was more worried about getting me out. But you would know more about her then I do." _Extremely unlikely but lets see what they told the rank and file?_

"No." Suzaku's face became downcast. "The only ones who had any clue were the inner circle of the royal guard."

"I see."

"And your name do I still call you Lelouch?"

"The records list me among the dead I am Lelouch Harkin Lamplerouge now. Although most people stick to the first name. And you? What happened at your court martial and how did you enroll at this school?"

Suzaku grinned. "I'm as surprised as you are. Who'd have believed we'd wind up at the same school. Truth is someone saw to it I received a proper investigation. That same someone decided that a seventeen year old should be in school."

"I wonder would it possibly be that someone my brother saw you with at the memorial a while ago?"

"He told you about that?"

"Yes he mentioned meeting you when he stopped by here."

"He was here?"

"For a while."

The Reaper and the Witch

**Ashford academy.** The night previous.

Luthur walked into the main receiving room trying to wrap his mind around an oddity that kept propping up in the data he'd been reviewing on Clovis's experiments. There was only one woman's face listed in the medical subjects list. That of the woman they got from the gas canister. However a careful review of the test results revealed what had to be a least a dozen different women all dying. Yet they all had identical physical data. Height, blood type, lung capacity even the neural structure of their brains it was crazy. He entered the main room where the dinner table sat. "Alright Lelouch what is it you wanted to." Standing there was the green haired woman from Shinjuku who'd been shot in the head.

"Hello Luthur."

The world slowed down as Luthur's mind raced. _Woman identical to one shot in head in Shinjuku. Same woman? Impossible fatal wound, no scarring around forehead. No sign of brain damage. One photo. All subjects had identical physical data. Only Logical conclusion. Clones. Clones created by Clovis's science team. And then sent here? By them? An assassin!_

In an instant Luthur charged across the room. Before the woman could blink his right hand seized her by the throat and pinned her up against the wall. He tightened his grip so that she could only whisper and then increased the auditory reception so he could hear her. His left hand warped into the demonic form the tips of his fingers twisting into claws. He leaned in close and whispered. "Now listen you little green haired assassin clone. I know who must have sent you. The boy and the girl who live here? Where are they? Answer or you will die."

"Were it so easy." The girl looked down at him and her face was extremely unimpressed. You'd think she was actually bored by the prospect of death by demonic eyeball hand.

"Oh Luthur I see you've met C.C."

Luthur turned his head to see Lelouch holding Nunnally's hand while they walked into the room. Nunnally was wearing what looked to be paper flowers in her hair. Lelouch's voice was perfectly natural but his face was barely concealing held in amusement.

It was awkward Luthur holding the woman up against the wall his metal claw raised to rip her head off while Lelouch just stood there with Nunnally. Nunnally spoke up "Luthur are you allright?"

"Uhmm I'm fine Nunnally I'm just saying hello to." He whispered to her. "What's your name?"

"C.C"

"C.C here." Luthur loosened his grip so that she could talk.

"Hello Nunnally Luthur was just surprised to see me here that's all."

"Well I'm just glad you're back." Nunnally then walked across the room and gave Luthur a hug. Luthur lowered his left arm and returned the hug his clawed fingers gently caressing Nunnally's hair while his other arm held C.C up.

The green haired woman looked more closely at Luthur's cyber arm as it slowly shifted back to normal. And then she sighed in exasperation. "Oh here we go again."

The Devil and the Knight

"We met up not long after you and I parted ways. He's not Brittanian he's a South African who got stranded here when the war began." Lelouch looked grim. " So to conceal both our identities we pretended to all be related to each other. I understand there is not much back in his homeland to go back to."

Suzaku winced if area Eleven was an example of one of the swiftest and least destructive conquests by Brittania the fall of South Africa was one of the most drawn out and devastating. The South Africans had mounted a defence long enough for the EU to reinforce them. The war had lasted over a year and a half. By the end over a third of the population was dead. Many more died from starvation and disease due to the near total destruction of any significant infrastructure. Remnants of the feared Afrika Korps and the death's head commandos still operated there. Having gone through three viceroys (none of them royal family members) in a year Area 15 was still considered the ultimate punishment detail for the Brittanian army.

"I didn't inquire into all the details. I'm fairly certain that he broke some laws. But the result? New identities for us all, though for a while we had to dye Nunnally's hair black to be safe. You know he actually owns the company that built Ashford academy? His profit margin on the construction was minimal. He said it was worth it just to give Nunnally such a good place to stay."

"So it isn't just an act. He really?"

"Yes he is my brother and Nunnally's brother too. He and I have endured a lot together. It was difficult staying out of sight in those months just after Japan fell. He's more a brother to me than any of the ones tied to me by blood. He loves us both even if he's not always the most approachable of people."

"I suppose I should thank him when I see him."

"You'll meet him again later but I think it's only fair I introduce you to Nunnally.

"What's he doing now?"

"Some of his employees were having trouble moving some stock. Knowing him I imagine he's micromanaging again."

The Reaper and War

**Area 11, Blood of the Samurai stronghold** **57 Kilometers outside Hiroshima.**

In an isolated valley Brittanian heavy artillery was pounding away at the Samurai's fortress. It was nothing more than a small mountain honeycombed with tunnels. Numerous defense guns returned fire from their emplacements on the sides.

In a mobile G-1 Base Andreas Darlton looked at a datascreen showing units surrounding the Samurai's stronghold.

"Yes we've confirmed the location of the upper entry level."

"Excellent get that information to the viceroy at once.

**Sublevel 3 **

The mountain shook as Brittanian artillery pounded away. The chamber was Spartan. Two large elevators descended form the upper floor. They were simple platforms with guardrails which were raised and lowered using heavy gear trains. The platforms descended and men and women headed from them to the open shaft in the centre where another elevator rose out the darkness.

Blood of the Samurai members were hauling crates towards the central elevator shaft before getting on themselves. Some of them moving faster at the sight of Shinigami and the even larger armored giant standing next to him. Only the group's leadership and another quarter of the men were in the second tier. To the rest of the soldiers Shinigami was a ghost story who was hired on to help with the most deadly of missions. When questioned it was explained he was paid for by their backers. "I'll give Cornelia credit she doesn't waste much time. Even with forewarning we'll only got half of our equipment out before we have to blow this place to hell. "

The armored monolith next to him spoke as if they were casually discussing the weather. "True but that half constitutes the heavier weapons and classified materials. We can replace the rest. We've already cleared all of the group's families. Fifty percent of soldiers and support staff are already on the middle road." The lift returned to the top of the shaft and more men began pushing a larger black crate on wheels towards it. "Even without the intel we should have anticipated this. Next to Zero the blood of the samurai has been the most public group of all when it comes to spitting in Brittania's face."

"It had to be, we needed a strong reasonably well known group to draw in recruits these past four years. A pity to lose this base though. It was one our most well positioned tier 3 strongholds in central Japan." Another faint rumble shook the room. Luthur tapped the side of his death mask. "Status report?"

"They've shelled the second level defence guns on the south side." Another rumble came over the communicator. "If they take out the two upper lines we won't be able to cover the south entrance."

"What eyes do we have left?"

"The summit observation post is down. We're blind thirty meters above the top line. AA as well."

Death linked his mask to War. Before them a holographic map of the base appeared. The weapons emplacements on the outside were all moved on rails that headed inwards to a central hub chamber. The upper four levels were each formed from these hubs and were connected by a central heavy elevator which transported ammunition. There were numerous smaller elevators and ladder ways connecting the hubs as well. Below the four weapons hubs was the main Level containing the vehicle bays, weapons storage, barracks and general inventory. Two other heavy elevators were on this level a heavy track running from them to the central elevator.

Below that was the base's water supply and generators. Below them lay the base's ammunition and explosive storage where ammo was shifted to the two elevators.

And below that was the chamber they were now in. The elevator within it forming a link to the middle road. Part of the underground network of tunnels that they'd 'added on' to Japan's sealed over subway and maglev network. Of course a number of the soldiers had believed that there was no sub level three. Certainly like many of their sleeper installations the central access shaft had been covered with concrete with only a smaller elevator for access. However upon learning of Cornelia's imminent attack they'd used charges to blow the central shaft open and immediately ordered the Conclave operatives leading the Samurai to prepare for immediate and complete evacuation.

"War you see as I do?"

"I do."

Death waved his hand at the number of destroyed weapons emplacements. "They are seeking to destroy the guns that are covering the south entrance. The two upper levels are harder for them to reach properly with their artillery from that range. They can maintain for now but I estimate that within the next half hour the Brittanians will have taken out enough of the other levels that they can risk moving close enough to get accurate fire and destroy the remaining emplacements."

War nodded. "With the southern door uncovered they'll charge the entrance with Knightmares and APC's carrying infantry. Those doors will not hold them. This place is a holdover from the 1st Pacific war."

"Indeed. We should be grateful that Cornelia has not employed bunker busters against us. She probably wants to see if she can wring any information on Zero from the bases remnants. Status on the charges?"

"The ammunition chamber had been set with mining explosives as well as the generators. We have additional charges placed in the escape shaft to collapse as we leave. This part of the middle road has no value with the loss of this base."

"Excellent at this rate we will be able to manage a full evacuation. By the time they can take out the upper guns we will be well on our way."

"It's Cornelia!" Death tapped his mask again. "Location?"

" She's attacking from the top of the mountain she's argghh." Death adjusted his radio.

"Get me the top weapons hub."

Meanwhile Cornelia having dropped from a VTOL transport maneuvered her Gloucester with skill firing her slash harkens at two separate guns then retracting as she plummeted towards a third. "Relics of a forgotten age." She hit the third gun like a thunderbolt the blood and guts of the gunners melded with the twisted metal by her knightmares armored feet. "Darlton in here correct?"

"Yes my lady do you require aid?" Cornelia turned her knightmare around and accelerated down the tunnel.

"Not for this level of resistance." She burst into the central weapons hub to see dozens of soldiers armed while more hauled crates to the central elevator. "Surrender at once you feeble minded elevens."

The soldiers answer was simple "Death to Brittania." And they all opened fire their rounds sparking off her armor.

Cornelia scanned the room. "Looks like Zero isn't here then. No need to go after them one at a time then. Vermin." She raised her rifle "Rot like the filth that you are." Even as she gunned them down the blood of the samurai refused to break. Yelling their defiance as they were shredded to bloody ribbons.

_Clever, clever Cornelia you VTOL dropped onto the mountain top to hit us from every side. _"Weapons level three Cornelia has breached the upper level. Activate the locking rods for the central lift then blast the gearing train. All troops on level three commence retreat to evac point by secondary ladder ways. Level two maintain suppressing fire for an additional two minutes then seal external tunnels and retreat. Level one maintain for five minutes then seal external tunnels and retreat. The central lift is now inoperable" Death turned to War. "Cornelia might be able to force the lift to descend but we can at least trap her in the third level." He tapped his communicator again. "All troops on main level move to barricade points one and two."

"Yes by taking out the suppressing fire of the two upper levels. She will be able to assault both entrances simultaneously."

"Indeed." Then Death's cold voice blared over the base's intercom. "This is a general address. Blood of the Samurai the upper level is breached. All those not assigned to rear guard on central level are to head to evacuation point. All material is to be abandoned."

"Brittanian forces are crossing the no mans land towards both entrances."

War and Death both leapt onto an ascending elevator platform while Death seized a bandolier of grenades. "War head to the north entrance engage the first ones with anti armor weapons then retreat. I will take the south if we blow the larger tunnels between the vehicle bays and the central lifts they'll have to fight through the barracks section using infantry." Death adjusted his radio yet again "Set the charges to a timer of twenty five minutes." The voice on the other end protested and Death's voice became ice. "Well pack them all on the lift at once. Safety limits be damned, this entire facility will be rubble before the warranty expires."

War then turned to his communicator. "Generator level I need you to carry out two very specific orders. You'll need to access the switchboard for the base's lights and the steam pressure for the boilers."

**North entrance. **Twenty two minutes remaining

The door exploded inwards followed by a hail of missiles and knightmare rifle rounds that shredded the few trucks and even a couple of tanks that had been resting in the vehicle bay. The Brittanians continued their fire for another ten seconds before slowly advancing. At that moment all the lights in the chamber went out.

The first knightmare through the door opened its factsphere in time to receive a missile right to the head. The second fared no better. Standing back from the entrance holding what appeared to be a sideslung demonic crossbow was a giant clad in grim steel armor. His metal was covered in a tabard of red cloth. His head by a hood from which long pale white hair hung down. His eyes burning blue as the red half circle of illuminated circuitry shone from his forehead. His voice was spoken calmly almost devoid of any emotion or inflection. "Initial assault unit disabled." The weapon made an eerie clacking sound as a third missile was pulled along its external rack and slotted into position. His cyber eyes pierced the smoke easily. He fired again and this time impaled a luckless Brittanian soldier to the floor before he was blasted into pieces. War and his soldiers had all taken cover in the working pits that lay underneath several of the vehicles. Converting them into temporary foxholes. Now they all fired RPG's towards the Brittanian forces. The half dozen soldiers around him maintaining cover fire. "Time to detonation?"

"Twenty minutes."

War yelled to his troopers "Blow the connecting tunnel then fall back to the barracks." The central tunnel leading from the vehicle bay to the main hub was consumed in a blast of fire and shrapnel. Smoke bombs filling the area while War and his troopers abandoned their positions and raced down the side passages into the south west barracks.

**South entrance** 19 minutes remaining

The Brittanians burst through the heavy door of the southern entrance. There was nothing. Immediately they fired tear gas into the room. The gas mask wearing infantry would be safe but any of the samurai would be completely incapacitated. Their factspheres and scanning equipment swept the room. At the far end lay the connecting tunnel to the central area. Their scanners detected placed explosive mines along he floor and walls.

**South East Barracks** 17 minutes remaining

"Spread out take both side passageways. Check for traps." The knightmares and APC's moved into the chamber. Covering both side entrances to the barrack blocks with their weapons. The infantry broke into two teams approaching each entrance. One covering the other before moving forward. Several pulled out anti ballistic shields and advanced ahead of the others. Still nothing. The soldiers storming the southwest barracks entered a central mess area. The lights turned off plunging them into utter darkness.

"Activate night vision." The room was bathed in green then burned to white as the lights came on. "What the hell?"

"Arghhh" The soldiers turned in the direction of the shout as the lights went off again. One of the men was writhing on the floor his legs cut off at the knee. Then they were blinded as the lights came on. On and off on and off. And every time they were rendered blind another man died. Their heads exploded by pistol shots and as they turned to the source of the sound men screamed as invisible blades maimed them. Another soldier gave a gurgle as he stumbled forwards and then fell back blood gushing from his neck. "Deactivate night vision." Blinded in the light or blinded in the darkness. The shifting light sources disorientated the troops. But in the flash of light the commander saw a figure running close to the wall. There. He pointed his arm and then screamed as it flopped off at the elbow. Neatly severed by a strand of the molecularised razor wire that had been strung throughout the room. The blood dripping along the wire made it briefly visible before the lights dimmed again. The shifting light rendered it undetectable. The maiming of their commander broke the soldiers morale and they moved to retreat only to find that someone had strung another strand of the wire behind them at waist height. As the first man fell forward filleted like a fish with his guts spilling onto the ground he saw the other end of the wire which had been attached to a grenade.

As the smoke cleared a single soldier the one who'd lost his legs earlier was dragging himself towards the exit. The pain and blood loss had narrowed his thoughts down to one thing, Get out. He hauled himself along the chamber hearing the sounds of further troops rushing behind the first team. He prepared to cry and then coughed blood into his helmet as a massive scythe blade rammed between his shoulders pinning him to the floor. Death hauled in his catch like a fish and while the legless soldier writhed gasping he reached out with one hand and casually snapped his neck before flinging the corpse down the passage way. He moved swiftly avoiding the wires whose positions were recorded on his masks computer and sped down a second passage way. His computer clock counting down.

**South West Barracks** 14 minutes remaining

"Raaaahgh." War screamed as he fired a heavy chain gun swinging the weapon so that it swept the assembly hall as the enemy soldiers entered. The hail of rounds chewing through the walls and shredding the Brittanians. Beside him stood several Blood of the Samurai taking cover behind crates as they exchanged fire. War laughed cruelly as the armor piercing rounds bounced off his thickened metal plates. "You Brittanians die too fast. Fight harder so I actually feel like I'm making an effort." After a couple of minutes his gun belt ran dry. The troopers came from behind cover and returned fire. At this point some might have fallen back. Not War he charged straight forwards. He closed with the Brittanians and swung the gun like a mace knocking one to the ground while his oversized right hand snatched another by the head and held him in front as a shield. He drew an unfeasibly large sword with intricate carvings of tormented faces from his back and swung, severing men in half as he waded in among them laughing all the while. This was fighting eye to eye with the screaming of packed men. It was from another time and no training could have prepared these soldiers as War gutted them with such unrelenting brutality. His radio chimed. "We've hit the ten minute mark we're releasing the steam."

Another voice colder than the steel of his blade came in over the radio. "War retreat from your position I think Cornelia's trying to shoot her way down through the elevator platform."

War screamed in rage and impaled another trooper through the guts. The turned and ran his feet stomping the ground like thunder as he retreated.

**Central chamber.** Eight minutes remaining.

The central chamber looked like a scene from hell. The rotating emergency lighting bathed everything the color of blood. Massive plumes of steam and smoke rose from the two open elevator shafts. Coming up through the open metal grills that formed the elevators flooring. Another group of nearly forty men and women stood on a descending platform looking like nothing more than damned souls sinking into the pit. Death ran through this smoke and stood at the base of the central elevator. Above he could see the metal of the top elevator deforming as Cornelia kept trying to blast her way through the thick reinforced steel platform.

The roaring of gunfire grew closer as wounded were dragged out of both barracks buildings by their comrades. There was no time for stretchers. They simply flung them onto the lifts as they descended. War had picked up another Chain gun and steadily paced backwards towards the second lift his soldiers concentrating fire as the Brittanians emerged from the barracks entrance. Death headed to the opposite entrance and leapt up onto a vantage point above it. The soldiers moved cautiously. His traps had made them wary and they had moved carefully to clear the way. The troopers emerged and immediately took cover behind the abandoned crates by the entrance. They covered one another as more filed in opening fire on the soldiers gathering near the escape shafts gradually falling back. Death twisted his hand to activate his armors system. "Armor medic, commence focus injection." He drew in a breath and the world slowed down. Then Death fell upon the soldiers. He drew out both his scythe blades and swung, cleaving arms and heads. He connected both hafts together and spun it around himself. Dodging and weaving as the Brittanians fire lost cohesion and tried to fight the enemy in their midst. But he was too swift he held the weapon behind him one handed while firing his pistol. He leapt into the air above the enemy and rammed the blade edges through their heads and into the floor. His arm stretched outwards to penetrate a soldier's chest and then flung him to knock over his own men. What shots the enemy landed glanced off the molded bone shaped armor. It was if they were all in slow motion so easily did he dodge their attacks. Finally he grabbed his final grenade and flung it towards the soldiers who'd backed off to a safe distance to fire.

They scattered for cover and he ran for the first elevator where the remaining samurai had gathered. War and the second elevator were beggining to descend. Then Cornelia dropped down through the smoky haze that covered the ceiling. To Luthur it happened in terrible slow motion. As Cornelia fell, her rifle snapped out and unleashed a hail of rounds on the soldiers in the first elevator. Packed together taking cover behind the barriers of the elevator platform. They died swiftly. The heavy rounds blasting enormous holes in them. The pair of slash harkens she fired seemed superfluous but as they smashed into the control box he saw the sense of it. He reversed course and charged across the wide space towards the other elevator. At least they'd had the sense to keep going down. He kept low behind what sparse cover he could find until there was only twenty meters between him and the open shaft. He tapped his comm. System one last time and yelled out over the intercom in Japanese. "Alert the fire has reached the ammunition storage. Prepare to take these filthy Gaijin Brits to hell with us. Death to Britannia." The only real gamble there was whether or not any of Cornelia's troops knew the language of their enemies. They did.

Cornelia's amplified voice rang out. "All forces retreat." Luthur charged across the smoky haze to the escape. But Cornelia swerved right in front of him. "But not before killing you 'Death'. Cornelia raised her spear prepared to skewer him. But then an armored figure leapt out of the smoke billowing from the shaft. He grasped onto the Knightmares cockpit block with his gigantic metal gauntlet and stabbed his sword into the gearing of Cornelia's shoulder. "What." Cornelia looked almost comical as she tried to reach around to grab the armored figure clinging to her cockpit block. Before war could stab through the cockpit she fired both her slash harkens straight up. They impacted the roof. She rapidly ascended and war leapt off her and to the floor before she could smash him against the ceiling and her cockpit. Cornelia cursed them. Together War and Death leapt into the shaft. They did not see Cornelia detach and fire a second slash harken as she prepared to exit the facility from the direction she entered.

Instead they concentrated on staying alive. War's hand reached out and dug its metal claws into the wall of the shaft. His other held onto Death. Below them lay the elevator platform stopped halfway down. They dropped into the midst of the soldiers and then Death kicked the lift brake off. They descended faster. The metal screaming as they passed both levels. "Time?" War bellowed over the sound of breaking metal. "Four minutes." The elevator hit the sublevel.

They charged across the concrete to the exit. War had slung a wounded man over his shoulder. There was no order to this just a gaggle of desperate men and women trying to outrun time. Another man blinded was pulled along desperately by a second soldier who'd lost his arm. As the last of them got onto the platform Death hit the descent lever.

"Three minutes." The elevator picked up speed.

"Two minutes" They continued to descend the shaft.

"One minute." They reached the bottom before them lay a long tunnel with trucks at the end. "Run." They all started moving as far away from the shaft as possible. Then a massive rumble echoed down the passageway. And a cascade of rubble fell down the elevator shaft behind them. Death sounded slightly peeved. "How embarrassing I was off by half a minute."

The moment of levity brought faint laughter from even the wounded and as they all stumbled towards the waiting transports it grew louder encompassing the tunnel as the base fell into ruin above them.

He turned towards War. "It's a three hours journey from here to Nexus two. Another two hours along the Deep roads towards Bastion. Who can begrudge anyone some laughter at the start of such a trip?"

"Will you be coming all the way?"

"No. I must return to the settlement. Take care of these ones War. They will be needed come E-Day." No more needed to be said. The two horsemen had saved each others lives so many times that the gratitude was a given and unspoken.

The Knight and the Beloved

Night had fallen on the academy. Nunnally came in the door of the dinner room. Sayoko at her side. "Hi Lelouch I'm home."

"Hello Nunnally, miss Sayoko. I've got a special present for you." Then Lelouch held his fingers to his lips.

"Oh what could it be?" Nunnally wondered as Lelouch led her to a seat. Then he gestured and Suzaku walked in. The honorary Brittanian seemed to muster up some courage then knelt at the girl's side placing his hand into hers.

Nunnally gasped and then tears of joy came from her closed eyes. "This hand. I just knew it." She lifted his hand close to his face. "I just knew it. I knew you'd be alright. He promised you would."

Suzaku smiled "It's been a long time Nunnally."

Later they all sat around a table enjoying a light dinner. "You will stay the night won't you?"

"Suzaku's enrolled at the academy so you can see him anytime you want to."

"Really. Oh that's wonderful."

"Well I still have military duties so I can't be here everyday."

Nunnally's face became concerned. "Oh. You. You're still in the military?"

"Don't worry they shifted me to the engineering core. It's a lot less dangerous."

Lelouch smiled politely as he picked up the teapot. "Engineering, cool." _So they decided to bury him in an engineering unit where he'll be out of the way and the media spotlight. Makes sense._

"Oh let me help you with that."

"You sit down. Unlike seven years ago we get to be the hosts. Funny, you're a lot more mellow than you used to be." _What happened to that young boy who tried to solve so many of his problems head on with his fists?_

"And you're a lot more brash."

Lelouch chuckled as he went into the kitchen. He turned his head and spoke softly. "I thought I told you to stay away. You'd think everything down in the base would be enough to keep you occupied?"

C.C looked back her face as calm as ever. "That boy. He's the soldier from Shinjuku. Is that wise?"

"It's alright. He's a friend." He lay the teapot on the counter. "From the past."

The Orange

In his prison cell the straight jacketed Lord Jeremiah looked up with hope as the glass doorway of his chamber opened. In front of him was Lord Guildford and two of Cornelia's guard. "Lord Guilford you see I'm innocent don't you."

"Well in the eyes of the court you are. And our own investigators as well." Guildford's tone was harsh but his eyes held a trace of speculation. "Still regardless of how you acted to protect the civilians Zero got away and you purebloods let it happen. You're being demoted one rank." Jeremiah blanched. "You have two options starting over in the military as a Harrier squad commander or buying an orange farm."

The Devil and the Knight

The next day Lelouch listened on a cell phone while Ohgi told him what he already knew. "It's not made the news yet but Cornelia wiped out the blood of the samurai faction yesterday. They were the largest group we had in central Brittania. Zero, it's only a matter of time before she comes after us as well."

_Wiped out ah if you only knew Ohgi. _"Keep your heads down for now our time will come. You are prepared to meet with Shinigami for training tomorrow?"

"Yeah they've all agreed. Even Tamaki."

"Good." _They're skills and teamwork are good but if they're to act as the core of our 'rebellion' they will need to be better. Especially Tamaki. Haha once Luthur gets done with training them they'll be lucky to walk. _"We'll talk later."

He cut off the phone and looked out the window to see Suzaku washing a shirt. As he pulled it out of the water he could see the words 'go back to the ghetto' scrawled on it in red marker.

The Cat

Later that day Lelouch walked into his bedroom to see C.C sprawled out on his bed. In one hand she was chewing on a thick slice of pepperoni pizza in the other she looked at his unarmored zero helmet. So distracting was the image he didn't even notice the cat that came in the door after him. "You know I keep that thing down in the base for a reason."

"Oh relax. The other person in the building who could see it is already in on your secret. Flair for the dramatic much?"

"Perhaps. But it's not something I should be careless with."

The door behind him swished open again and C.C placed the mask on the edge of the bed. It was Nunnally standing by the door. "Alright Lelouch the tea is ready when you are." Her nose twitched and she inclined her head. "That smell hey did you order pizza again?"

"Yeah I'm chalking up reward points. I'll be right down okay."

"Lelouch." Nunnally teased. "Maybe you should cut down on the pizza you don't want a blubbery belly."

"Just promise not to touch it or rub it okay?" Lelouch took Nunnally's hand and went down the hallway.

Nunnally giggled. "Ooh Scary."

Neither C.C or Lelouch took note of the dull thump from the other side of the bed. "Mrowl"

C.C turned around to see the helm gone. She did not notice the soft padding of the cat's feet.

Lelouch and Nunnally were sitting having tea. "They're just being cruel to Suzaku."

"No it's just these things take time they'll come around."

"But you're his friend could you do something or Luthur."

"Perhaps we can. Oh Luthur will be around more."

"Really."

"Yes he's going to delegate any out of the Area business. He plans to take a part time vacation so he can spend more time with us. For the rest of the year he'll only be gone for a day at the time at most."

"I'm so glad. I know he gets sad when he's away from us for a while."

"Yeah I know wh. What?" Lelouch stood paralyzed his face twitching in utter disbelief and consternation as he saw a cat ambling its way across the room wearing his Zero mask.

The door hissed open and the cat bounded off. Lelouch ran after it. "Hey give that back."

"Uh Lelouch?"

Outside Lelouch hauled himself out a window in pursuit of the masked feline. "A cat. A stupid little cat? Urgh." He promptly fell into a bush. "This can't be happening. How can all my plans be undone by a mere feline?"

The green haired witch looked out the window in surprise. A dollop of cheese hanging from her lip. "That wasn't my fault. I didn't touch or rub anything."

While Lelouch pursued the little furball. Nunnally out of concern for her brother called the student council thus proving that old maxim about good intentions. Milly sounded rather puzzled. "A cat?"

"Yes but it must have taken something important to him because." At this Nunnally sounded genuinely worried. "I've never heard my brother sound like that. He was completely hysterical."

"Oh what could it be?'

Nina softly spoke up. "A love letter."

Milly held a finger to her chin "An embarrassing photo?"

Rivalz cocked his head. "Poetry he wrote."

"Poetry?"

Rivalz and Milly looked at each other and giggled. Milly gave a thumbs up. "Leave it to us we'll catch that cat and whatever it is that it stole. Just you wait."

Lelouch burst into a hallway in time to see the vigilante cat rush by a pair of students chatting. "Hey is that a cat with zero's face or am I crazy?"

"You must be crazy. How could that be here?"

Lelouch stopped and turned to both of them. "You saw that." His eye turned red. "Forget everything you've just seen."

"Sure no problem at all."

Lelouch ran outside to see the cat heading along the roof he chased alongside it.

_Damn it if I had those terrorists with me we could encircle the enemy. Maybe Kallen could help. No she's suspicious of me as it is. I just hope Luthur has gotten back. _

"Arg" Lelouch fell into the bushes and watched as the cat hopped down and ran a meter past his face in the opposite direction.

As he reached for his phone Lelouch thought his situation could not get any worse. Then it got worse. "This is Milly the student council president. Cat hunt everybody."

At that several students all stopped what they were doing including Suzaku. "Cat hunt?"

"There a rogue cat on the loose and it needs catching. Participating clubs will get budget priority." On top of a diving board Shirley listened. "And whoever catches our feline friend will get a very special prize. A big old kiss from one of the student council members."

"What" Shirley lost her footing and executed the most awkward dive in the history of the school.

_Damn it Milly stay out of this_ "Luthur have you arrived at the base?

"Yes I just got in."

"No time we have a potential tier one security breach on campus."

Luthur's drew in a sharp breath. "What, is it a Brittanian agent?"

"No it's a cat."

"Oh no that's even wor. Wait a minute did you say a CAT?"

"Yes it's wearing my mask. Activate Dust and the others and help me catch it."

Even as Luthur ran towards a stairway to one of the other exits on campus. He cried out over the phone. "A CAT?"

Meanwhile in the gardens Kallen listened with alarm. "Members of the student council. You mean Like ME?"

"EXACTLY." From the bushes behind her the members of both the photography club and the gardeners club leapt out.

"You're on the student council aren't you?"

"Yeah I wouldn't mind a taste of those lips."

"A peck on the cheek would be fine with me."

"Wait we can choose where she plants it?"

"ALRIGHT." And immediately over a dozen men charged off in search of the cat.

Kallen blushed. "There is no way that's how I'm going to get my first kiss."

Elsewhere several of the girls speculated. "Any member of the council? Does that include Lelouch?" The girls all squeeled in delight.

"Actually I'd prefer Milly."

"Oh get back in the closet would you."

The football team gave a mighty hup and started running across the grounds.

The equestrian club began to patrol. "We have the advantage in mobility."

The gardeners began rifleing through the bushes. "Quick search for catnip."

"Plants will prevail."

"And when you do catch that cat bring what it's carrying to me. To me. TO ME ahahahahahah."

Luthur paused a moment as he emerged from a hallway. "Truly she is diabolical."

Kallen ran down a hallway. _Offering up people as prizes this is why I hate Brittanians. _

Then she had to stop as a pair of students came around the corner. As soon as she passed them she took off again. _Damn it why do I have to keep pretending that I'm sick and feeble. _She immediately ran into someone coming around the corner. "Oh I'm sorry. Shirley? Why are you dressed like that?" Shirley Finnette was looking very flustered and still somewhat damp in her one piece swimming outfit.

"I didn't have time to change they're going to make us kiss somebody."

Kallen nodded her head in agreement. "I'm with you."

**Milly's control centre of doom** (The public address booth)

Milly and Nina were standing near the address microphone along with Nunnally.

"Nunnally is there anything special about this cat?"

Milly held the microphone to Nunnallys face as she answered. "Hm I think one of its legs is hurt because its footsteps sounded off to me. Oh and it also made a meow like this." She drew in a deep breath. "MEOOOWWW" which echoed around the entire school.

The Cook and the Pudding

Across from the schools main gate and just outside the university Cecile Croomy listened to the amplified cat sound. "The school seems so laid back. In spite of the fact that they're in mourning. I hope Suzaku will be okay."

Lloyd Asplund the earl of pudding walked out from behind the ASEEC trailer. "Never mind that. I've just finished talking to the university here. They still say I have to keep poor Lancelot out though."

"I know but they refuse any elevens."

The Diabolical Mistress

Rivalz strapped on his helmet as Milly sat in his sidecar. "What happens if a member of the student council catches the cat? Do we get a prize?"

Milly smiled at him. "Do we get a kiss? But of course."

"Alright then this is my chance to shine." Rivalz gunned the engine and they sped off in a cloud of dust.

"Hey no speeding on campus."

The Queen and the Crush

Kallen and Shirley blocked off the cats escape as it hid under some furniture beneath a stairwell. "Okay we catch this thing and our lips will be safe. Shirley you cover the rear I'll catch it."

"Okay." Shirley watched as Kallen slowly moved forwards. "Wait. Who would you want to get a kiss from?"

"Is it Lelouch?"

Kallen blushed furiously. "Why would you say a thing like that?"

"Well uhm." They did not even notice the cat running between their legs.

Ten seconds later Luthur came pounding around the corner.

"Have you found the cat?"

"Luthur." Kallen was surprised but glad for something that broke the awkward conversation. "Well its right under … there?"

"Oh no it got away."

"There it is." And they all began rushing down the hall. Dozens of birds flying around outside.

One of them caught an image of the cat running across a connecting rooftop into the clocktower building. Luthur sent a message on Lelouch's phone. "It's in the clocktower."

Unfortunately he was not the only one who had seen it. Lelouch ran into Suzaku at the base. "Suzaku? What are you doing here."

"Lelouch you're looking for the cat as well?"

An echoing meow came down the stairwell.

Suzaku to Lelouch's dismay began running upwards. "Suzaku wait don't go up there."

"But the council president said to catch the cat."

"Don't worry about it I'll catch the cat."

"I was always more agile than you. Are you forgetting when that bird escaped its cage."

"That's ancient history."

"Ancient history. It was only seven years ago."

"Oh for Pete's sake. Huh huh." Lelouch was two lengths of stairs behind Suzaku and breathing heavily. "He always was a fitness nut."

Meanwhile just below them was Kallen and Luthur. "We'll never catch them now."

Luthur however knew the layout of the Ashford academy better than anyone. (After all he'd designed it. Especially the unofficial architecture.) "Don't worry Kallen our lips will not be subject to Milly's whims today. If that cat is going where I think it is they'll be stopped by a locked door." Then he opened a grey door marked 'maintenance' on the third flight of stairs. "This is how people get to the top to work on the belltower mechanism. Hope you don't mind ladders." _If she wants to maintain that sickly persona she'll have to lag behind me. _

However Suzaku was not to be deterred. The Cat had clambered up into the belltower section. He went out the window after it. Much to the shock of the crowd who had gathered below. "Suzaku don't bother leave the cat alone."

"Don't worry I'll get it." Lelouch stepped out the window himself. _What's with him? He never went along with the crowd like this. _Then Lelouch's foot slipped and he started sliding down the rooftop. "Suzaku."

Suzaku turned around and slid down grasping the windowsill with one hand while the other held onto Lelouch's hand. "I've got you."

Down on the ground Nina was surprised. "Those two are they?"

Meanwhile while looking up at the cat Lelouch saw a huge form appear behind it. Luthur quickly grabbed the cat and before it could meow took off the mask collapsed it and tucked it into his jacket. Then he roared in triumph as Kallen clambered up next to him "Kallen and I have caught the cat."

Down on the ground Nunnally asked Milly "Hey what's going on?"

"That transfer student just saved Lelouch from a really bad fall."

Nunnally smiled.

Eventually they all emerged at the bottom. Suzaku reached out to the cat which hissed at him. "I think it's the same cat from the other day."

Shirley looked a bit worried then smiled and stepped forwards. "You saved him thanks so much."

Rivalz chimed in "Yeah way to go new guy."

Milly looked at Luthur then at Kallen who'd he handed the cat to. "Hey that cat was carrying something where is it?"

Luthur looked at Kallen. "I didn't see anything on it. Did you Kallen?"

"No."

"I think I saw something on it but it must have fallen off."

Milly pouted in disappointment. "Rats and I thought I'd get some real dirt on Lelouch this time."

Shirley joined in. "Yeah he almost lost his cool for once."

Lelouch smiled wearing an expression of totally false innocence. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Milly looked grumpy then her face lit up in a mischievous grin as Kallen handed the cat over to a member of the gardening club.

"Well there's still the matter of the prize for the winners."

Luthur pointed triumphantly. "Hah we beat you there Milly. It was Kallen and I who caught the cat together. And we are already members of the student council."

"Exactly."

Kallen looked rather pale at that. "What, what do you mean?"

"Well it obvious that you too will have to kiss each other."

"WHAT?" Kallen blushed as she looked at Luthur and the image of him without his shirt immediately came to mind. Luthur for his part looked a bit red as well and his expression was one of consternation and perhaps a hint of hopefulness.

"You can't compel members of the student council to do that Milly."

"Oh well if that's the case. I guess the first non member to catch the cat wins."

Kallen looked at the member of the gardening club whose face lit up in joy. _NO FREAKING WAY. _Then she turned, grabbed Luthur by the shoulders and pulled him down into a kiss.

She'd meant to make it quick. But when their lips touched each other she didn't let go of his shoulders. They remained pressed together. His mouth opened slightly and she felt his tongue slide gently across her upper lip. She felt her breath mingling with his and dug her hands into his shoulder as he kissed her right back. She pulled away just as she felt herself starting to run out of air. She realized that everyone there had been watching her kissing Luthur for, for, she even didn't even realize how long. Her face turned as red as her hair and right then she wished a hole would open and swallow them both. But preferably swallow Milly first. Who was grinning like the cat that got the cream.

Kallen desperately wanted to change the subject and turned towards the amused looking Suzaku and Lelouch. "So, uhm. Do you two know each other then?"

Nina gulped "Yeah but he's an Eleven."

Everyone looked uneasy at her words until Lelouch spoke. "He's my friend. Madam President each of us can nominate someone to be a member of the student council correct?"

"Well sure you're the vice president."

"Every student is required to join a club. So I would like Suzaku to join the student council."

Milly held her hand to her chin for a while and then grinned. "Sure."

Rivalz held his hand high. "Oh right then. Let's celebrate the catching of the cat. Everything is on the new guy of course."

"Oh back off Rivalz. Hi I'm Shirley Fenette Pleased to meet ya."

"Oh yeah I'm Rivalz."

"I'm Milly Ashford the student council president."

As everyone crowded around to welcome Suzaku, Lelouch saw a smile come to the serious teen's face.

Luthur cleared his throat. "uhh hum actually I'd like to make an announcement. In order to spend more time with my family I'm going to do part time work. Two days a week I will be teaching the martial art of Silat at the spare meeting hall on the end of Campus." Everyone looked surprised at this. Luthur's face took on a grin that looked like a shark about to eat you. "There any who join me can seek to improve their bodies and minds through the most brutal and physically demanding martial art style in the world." At that one everyone winced slightly.

Luthur rested his hand on Lelouch's shoulder. "And of course my little brother shall be the first volunteer."

Lelouch's face became a mask of utter dread. "What?"

"You lost our bet Lelouch so you have to volunteer for something. It's this."

"Of, of course brother looking forward to it." Yes, in the way a condemned man looked forwards to an execution.

But Luthur was not done. He saw a pair of rather sour looking faces. He walked around the edge of the crowd to where a thin blue haired student and a tubby blond stood.

"And Jason and Michael have decided to join the first class as well.

"Us?"

Then Luthur leaned forward so only they could hear. "Unless you want footage of you vandalizing a students clothing to go to the principle. Or the student council president perhaps."

Both of them gulped although which of the two options frightened them more was hard to tell. "Yeah sure."

"Excellent I'll expect them and anyone else who wishes to hone themselves through the cleansing fire of physical exertion to be there after final class tomorrow."

Later as they walked alone Lelouch objected. "Luthur I'm not sure about this."

Luthur looked at his adopted brother and military commander. His gaze was one that held no compromise. "Lelouch you are my brother and I love you. You are a brilliant tactician, a patient strategist and a fantastic shot. I've never seen you miss with a revolver or any firearm. But your close combat skill is laughable and your stamina pathetic. I know that you should never wind up in direct combat but we can't be certain that I will always be there if you do. I had believed you were keeping up with your basic exercises when I was away. You clearly have not."

"It's not that bad."

"Lelouch we have created a massive plan of secrecy and preparation. A plan we've been laboring on for seven years. Which was nearly undone due to your inability to catch a cat with a weight on its head and a wounded leg! You can't be too reliant on your power armor. You may not need to become a close range master but I can make sure you're fit enough that you can at least run away effectively if you have to."

Lelouch sighed "Alright, alright. But watch out I don't take revenge on you."

"If getting you fit enough to stay alive, makes you plot vengeance it's a price worth paying. Cheer up I understand you have an appointment with a certain masked lady tonight."

"Well at least you are not calling it a date."

"Well of course it's obviously not that." Luthur coughed into his mouth.

Authors Note

Derain: Whew. That was huge. I didn't mean for the samurai part to take so long but damn it once War and Death start blowing things up I just can't stop myself.

War: That's right people. We blow stuff up.

Luthur: Yes as we prepare for the day we will emerge and conquer the surface world. Hahaha. Uh sorry about that.

Lelouch: War is very direct.

Derain: Yes with war killing is all about fighting you. Death is purely about killing you. He doesn't care whether it's face to face or miles away. If scaring you and screwing with your head makes it easier to take you down he will do it.

Luthur: Or just kill you instantly with a car bomb.

Derain: (nervously) Yeah. Before anyone objects I need to point out that the use of the underground tunnels by resistance groups is actually part of the canon. Cornelia and her generals have a meeting about that and how the elevens self governing council (the six houses of Kyoto) are helping keep the tunnels operating. Although it should be clear that the black knights have taken that concept and run a thousand miles with it. Got you wondering just how much stuff they've got down there hmm?

Kallen: On the subject of objecting, you made us kiss each other.

Derain: Actually I offered you a choice between kissing him and kissing the gardener guy. Not much of a choice but a choice.

Luthur: A really good choice.

Kallen: Hey!

Derain: And before anyone makes an objection about age difference let me point out that in the canon it's made to appear as if Lelouch ends up being with a woman who is _centuries _older than him.

C.C: I prefer to think of myself as exceptionally mature.

Lelouch: Mature? Not so sure about that.

Derain: Lelouch is a really good shot with firearms. In the whole series I never saw anyone dodge his shots.

Lelouch: That's right.

Derain: Except of course Suzaku.

Suzaku: Oh yes.

Derain: Also as with Lady Kami War is NOT an OC. He is a very minor character (seriously I don't think he got half a minute of dialogue) who I have saved from obscurity and imbued with PURE AWESOMENESS.

War: HELL YEAH.

Derain: So get ready kids next chapter Lelouch will go on a date.

Lelouch: It's not a date!

Derain: And then endure a BRUTAL TRAINING MONTAGE at the hands, feet (and weapons) of Luthur.

Luthur: Pain is good. Pain will be your friend.

Lelouch: Oh no.

Derain: (singing) It's the eye of the tiger. It's the thrill of the fight. Rising up to the challenge of your rivals. And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night.

Lelouch: Shut up.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer

I may be away for the weekend (and thus no internet access) So here's a technical file to tide you over in case I don't finish Lelouch's torture (I mean training) before I have to leave.

Technical File

File Number 1-200-CD-322-PA

REAPER power armor.

Type: Customized general combat power armor suit

Wearer: DEATH. Rank- General. Commander of Wraith Deep raider corps. True name- Luthur Harkin Wulfenbach AKA Luthur Harkin Lamplerouge

Actuation: Myomer muscle cabling.

Armor: Neoceramic hexagonal plate mail laced with boron/carbon lattice beneath HG compression forged titanium/steel/carbon (Tritium) plating. Kevlar biweave 'skin' over any exposed joints.

Kinetic absorbent Reflex padding underneath - Special thermal absorbing variant.

Height: 2 Meters

Weight: 0.23 Metric tons

Power source: Dual Hypercompressed Hafnium Sodate Batteries.

Fixed weaponry

30 Meters length Molecularised razor wire launcher in right gauntlet.

Retractable metal claws in fingertips for gripping surfaces

Armor clamps for scythes and personal bolt pistol.

Helmet

Neurohelmet receiver system for Mech piloting

Inbuilt targeting protocols and HUD

Thermal vision

Night vision

Sonic mapping vision.

Tracking software

Advanced chemical sensor package.

ARGUS sensor coordination software.

Recording and voice synthesizer system

Overview

The sensor apparatus of Death's Helm is designed to provide him with more information about his surrounding environment. This is often of great aid to him when running stealth operations or in battle conditions of minimal visibility. Even in a smoke filled room in utter darkness he can navigate. His armor is in fact capable of throwing off high frequency sound waves above the range of human hearing. The waves are recorded and then mapped like a bat's sonar. A radar vision if you will. He can also record and mimic human voices (or any sound) using his helmet system. The chemical sensors allow him to learn about his environment in any number of ways. The helmet is also capable of connecting to a Nobuseri mechs operating system like a standard neurohelmet. Death's helm is a fully sealed gasmask capable of providing one hour of oxygen to its wearer. Unless wearing specialized modules the armor is too heavy to swim in although being a sealed system he can just walk across the floor of a river of body of water.

Like all power armor the user controls his suit through two ways.

First the brainwave data received from the neuro helmet. Second the data received from pressure, muscle movement and nervous activity that is interpreted by the inner nerve suit which is worn in direct contact with the skin. There have been experiments with subdermal implants placed throughout the body above key sections of the nervous system to improve efficiency. Thus far Death only has such implants on his cranium.

The ribbed structure of the external plating provides greater protection against melee weaponry and small arm fire. Even so it is designed around agility and mobility with somewhat larger gaps to allow for complete and swift limb movement. It increases the wearers strength by a factor of five. Since Death has a prosthetic left arm the safety limiters for the left armor are not present so it is in fact eight times the strength of a normal man. However Death has tweaked the fibre bundles of the armor to allow for increased running speed and limb movement to twice that of a normal man. As opposed to the fifty percent increase in standard armor. Also the structure of the Kevlar skin and alterations in the gel composite allow Death to mask his armors heat signature. Although not as well as the dedicated lighter armor he uses for purely stealth missions.

The armor has a fully functional medic system that can pressurize parts of the suit to act as a makeshift tourniquet in the event of bleeding. It links in to Deaths internal cybernetics and health monitor system. It can deliver a wide range of antibiotics, coagulant, anti coagulants and painkillers. It can also administer various combat compounds when necessary such as focus and dull. In the event of extremely severe injury it can cause the armor to lockdown while it administers Torpor.

Visually speaking Death's armor is terrifying. The blank death mask acting as a powerful piece of psychological intimidation. While the standard color for the armor is dark red Death can alter it to better suit his operating environment as it is covered with specialized smartpaint.

Death's armor can carry a multitude of specialized weapons and equipment. However the weapons he never goes without are his personal heavy Pistol Redeemer and his scythe blades. The Redeemer pistol is extremely heavy and comes with a silencer function. It fires specialized armor piercing rounds that are launched using an extremely powerful plastic explosive ignition compound called Terman 27. The ammunition travels at sufficient speed that it could pierce a knightmare cockpit block in three to five shots on the same area. In order to accommodate both the extreme stresses and the kickback such ammunition generates the weapon has been made of very dense metal. In fact both in size and the sheer weight of the weapon it is beyond normal proportions for a handgun. It would be impossible for anyone not wearing power armor to lift and fire this weapon without breaking their arm.

His scythe blades are formed from Tritium that has been folded twenty times then condensed using HG compression forging. Then sharpened to a monomolecular edge using highly concentrated UV lasers. The weapons can be attached at the base of their hafts to form a double bladed staff. The blades can be held at right angles or 180 degrees to the line of the hafts. A special property of the blades can allow Death to actually damage knightmare armor. By using AG emitters and a condensed UV laser discharge he can maintain for the space of one second a concentrated 'edge' of charged particles along the blade. This has high energy costs and so he generally uses other methods to deal with knightmares if he can.

File Number 1-000-CD-007-PA

VOID command power armor.

Type: Customized Command power armor suit

Wearer: ZERO. Rank- Supreme commander True name-REDACTED

Actuation: Myomer muscle cabling

Armor: Tungsten coated 2cm thick HG compression forged Tritium plates over Neoceramic hexagonal plate mail laced with carbon titanium lattice.

Kinetic absorbing Reflex padding.

Height: 1.8 Meters

Weight: 0.31 tons.

Helmet

Night vision

Thermal Vision

Fully integrated tactical and strategic mapping software linked to HUD

ARGUS sensor coordination software.

Overview

The VOID is heavier than standard power armor due to both the thickened plates of Tritium and the extra communication and computer gear inside it. Much of the armors power is spent allowing Zero to move so it does not increase his strength by the same proportions that standard armor does. The VOID has an encrypted communication package capable of both radio and directed laser transmission. It has a fully functional haptic computer system which links to the suits gloves and the helmet HUD. With a flick of the wrist Zero can create a 3D tactical map, pull up the biography of a target, maintain multiple communication links with his forces and even launch computer hacking attempts while standing upright in a rainstorm.

This system can connect to the computer systems of a Nobuseri mech or a Knightmare allowing a wider field of vision to its wearer and improving its efficiency. Its internal structure also allows it to act as a neurohelmet when piloting a Nobuseri mech.

His armor contains the standard medic system albeit without the focus compound.

Zero's personal weapon is a specialized 14 round pistol with inbuilt sensors that connect to his HUD allowing him to fire with pinpoint accuracy. It is stored in a hip compartment that lies flush with the metal of the right armor leg. It fires standard and armor piercing rounds. The ammunition is stored in the left compartment.

Like all forms of Power armor The VOID contains its own built in air supply and filtration system. It provides full environmental protection from any chemical, biological or radiological hazard. Although Zero's helmet contains a voice synthesizer to help protect his identity. The outer armor and the internal Reflex padding protect the wearer from the effects of heat. Meaning that Zero can walk right through a burning building and not even break a sweat.

His Cloak likewise is heat resistant and fire proof. It has a special deflective material woven within it that prevents successful laser targeting. It is also a memory weave. Certain electrical currents can slightly affect its rigidity which allows Zero to wrap himself in it completely without holding on to it.

File NO 2-456-BK-3780-KF

RONIN 47

Frame data and tactical assessment of Ronin 47 knightmare frame.

Height 4 meters

Weight: 7 Tons

Armor: Tritium lattice in neoceramic

Sensor: Multiple sensors placed in head, upper chest and shoulders.

Includes

-3 thermal cameras.

-2 High speed telephoto cameras with telescopic function.

-4 standard frame rate cameras with low light vision capability.

Cameras are all linked to one another using ARGUS system.

Power source 1 yggdrasil drive (slight modification to interior block allow 2 hours additional performance than standard drives)

Propulsion: two landspinners.

Fixed armament: two slash harkens

2 pile driver gladius's – composition multiple folded steel and tritium alloy sharpened to molecularised edge

Weapon inventory

Stalker pattern knightmare assault rifle

Tishen anti armor Naginata spear

Knightmare shoulder mounted rocket launcher

Anti knightmare sniper rifle

Arbalest Grenade launcher

Arclight anti personnel flamethrower

Anti armor/personnel thermite grenades

Development history

Unlike the Burai which are made by modifying surplus or stolen glasgows Ronin 47's are manufactured from scratch in tier 3 or 2 installations. The exception to this being the armor plating,the ARGUS computer hardware and the slash harken cabling which are created in tier 1 installations. The Ronin are an improvement on the Sutherland knightmare frame and use approximately 70% of the original components. The ability to manufacture them so is a consequence of operation PERAGUS.

PERAGUS was launched in the occupied zone of Indonesia on January 21st 2013 A.T.B under cover of a storm and using the resistance group 'sons of the severed hand' as a supporting force. It involved several attacks to distract Brittanian forces from an assault upon a knightmare manufacturing plant led by War, Death and Zero. The mission achieved its objective in which the design specs, industrial tooling and part construction stats for the Sutherland Knightmare were stolen. The factory was then destroyed with high yield sakuradite infused thermite bombs to remove any evidence that the material needed to create a Sutherland production line had been carried away. Development of the Ronin took another nine months. It began to see use by Conclave strike teams as early as February 2014 A.T.B. Sale to various tier 3 resistance groups began in 2015. Sale as part of general inventory to any group began in 2016.

Technical details

Sensors

The Ronin does not possess a factsphere. The construction of these specialized thermographic cameras remains a Brittanian technical secret. The conclave has not tried to reverse engineer them as it is time better spent improving their own sensor technology. However it does use the ARGUS cockpit hardware system. ARGUS allows for the coordination and overlay of multiple sensor cameras into single data. The pilot can view the cameras separately or watch a complete image composed of the data taken from all the cameras at once. The system automatically adjusts for the loss of any of the cameras.

Also the placement of cameras, means that Ronin pilots can in fact see behind themselves. (The images are projected in the same manner as a rear view mirror as smaller windows on the two computer screens to either side of the main one.)

Armor

Knightmare armor is a combination of lightweight metals and high yield ceramics. This grants them protection against small arms fire. The Ronin's armor is an improvement on this compound called neo ceramic with an internal lattice of tritium which is used in part in the construction of Black knight infantry armor and power armor. This grants fifty percent more endurance to knightmare scale projectile weaponry. However the addition of full metal layers would make it heavier thus it is no more resistant to close combat piercing weaponry (like a Brittanian's lance)

Tactical assessment.

The Ronin is an excellent knightmare for mid to extended range combat. Its improved energy endurance and greater sensor capacity make it excellent for supporting stealth attacks and raids. Especially where you might need to wait in ambush for a considerable amount of time. Its pile driver gladius's are also excellent close combat tools for fighting Sutherlands. However its acceleration, maneuverability and manual dexterity do not match those of the Gloucester model. Ronin pilots are discouraged from engaging in direct combat with Gloucesters. It is better to use their extended range slash harkens to escape to higher ground.

Authors Note

Derain: Well I know I promised that you would get to see Lelouch being pounded. Don't worry it will happen. But since I'll be away for the weekend (Which is when I get a lot of my writing done) I felt I had to post this from my notes to keep things interesting.

Lelouch: A reprieve.

Derain: This also brings up an important point for me about the black knights technology. Yes they do have some draw dropping bad ass tech. But that does not mean they are more advanced then the Brittanians in every way. Their own mech technology is radically different from the Brittanians so they spent all their effort into making that better then researching better knightmare tech. The Ronin is a tuned up Sutherland with some of the compatible Nobuseri tech added on. All the nations of the world, at the time of season one are behind Brittannia when it comes to building knightmares. Except of course Rakshata.

Luthur: Hmm I wonder what will happen when she joins us.

Derain: Even now the thought of what the pair of you together will cook up fills me with fear. Still on the subject of power armor you can see how Luthur is like a more gothed up version of the Predator. If I listed every various killing device he may pull out in the course of this fic we'd be here for ages so I stuck to the two weapons he always has with him.

Lelouch: And me?

Derain: You're the general, ideally you won't be involved in close combat. But if you are you'll have excellent protection while you whip out your pistol and head shot everybody. Then get back to coordinating your troops like chess pieces on the battlefield. Hehheh. It would be funny to see someone try to kick you while wearing that though.

Lelouch: They'd break their leg.

Suzaku: I felt a slight chill.

Derain: And here's a slight teaser. When we finally get around to revealing your personal Mech it will remain true to your combat philosophy as shown in the canon.

One- Stay at a distance

Two- Guns. Big guns. And lots of them.


	12. Chapter 12

The burnt hand teaches best.

Chapter 12

**Japan, Woods outside Kururugi residence 2010 A.T.B **

Kaguya Sumeragi was angry. Actually it would be more precise to say she was incoherent with rage. She furiously stomped her way up the hill and through the trees. Her relative Suzaku Kururugi had been a headstrong jerk as usual. She'd been the one to think of using the straw basket as a cage for the escaped bird. She'd been the one to tell him where to find the bird. She wanted to keep helping, then he'd called her childish and told her to go away. Well damn him. The eleven year old Sumeragi was determined to stay as far away from him as possible. Big bully. Always trying to solve his problems by hitting something. Eventually she calmed down enough to take stock of where she was. It was on a gentle slope some of the trees were flowering and a light rain of petals was carried on the wind. She turned around and realized that although she could see out across the valley she could not see the path back towards the residence. "Oh great I'm lost."

"Why are you here?" Kaguya looked to her right. Standing next to a tree was a short figure in black wearing a white mask.

Kaguya was startled "What business is it of yours? Who are you anyway?"

"I live here in the forest. So yes it is my business. As for who I am. Maybe I am a demon Who eats lost girls in the woods."

She felt a bit scared at that but mustered her courage. "Even demons need a place to stay. Where do you live in the forest?"

"All over the place and nowhere at all."

"Do you have a name demon boy?"

"I'm Lelouch."

"Hmm my name is Kaguya. I won't give you the rest. Do you know the way back to the Kururugi residence?"

"Yes I do. Do you want to go there?"

"Yes. But first take off your mask just in case you really are a demon."

The figure tugged at a strap and the blank mask came off. Beneath the mask was a small boy she had not met before. He wasn't Japanese. He had thin black hair and violet eyes. His chin was pointed. "Surprised?"

"Yes a little. Your eyes are still kind though. You sure you know the way back towards the Kururugi residence?"

"Are you sure you wish to walk with me? I may be a demon."

"Even if you are I will walk with you." She smiled. "You are rather cute for a demon."

He actually blushed a little.

**Area 11 Tokyo settlement A.T.B 2017 **

Through the lights of Tokyo Settlement a glossy black private car moved. In the back seat sat Lelouch. He was dressed in his opera outfit. He wore no cape and instead of the well known helmet of zero he'd adopted a mask that moulded closely to his features. The nose and the painting on the forehead suggested a stylized eagle. The eyes were green reflective glass. There was dark facepaint around his mouth so that his skin tone could not be identified. His identity at the moment was that of Jim Pact. A young business entrepreneur. Although in all the other times he'd used this identity he'd died his hair white and worn contacts just for a start. Certainly not while attending a masked restaurant. His driver was a Britannian who worked for the luxury cab service that Lelouch (unofficially) owned. Lelouch opened the private bar at the back of the limo and poured himself a shot glass of vodka. It wasn't that he hadn't met in even more unusual circumstances then this. He'd held meetings in bunkers, Street bazaars, restaurants and even in a toy factory. Still there was something about the way that Lady Kami had spoke that made him uneasy.

The vehicle stopped and Lelouch sighed as his door was opened. He stepped out in front of the entrance to the West Haven hotel. Two other men in grey suits and simple white facemasks stepped out from the front area of the limo. They may have swapped sunglasses for the masks but both of them still emanated the hard case aura of bodyguard. They flanked Lelouch as he headed to the entrance. An usher opened the doors for him as he entered the lobby then he walked towards the elevator. They got in and the elevator rushed to the top. Apparently the Masquerade took over the upper two floors of the entire building.

They emerged onto an open area in front of them was a bare wooden floor being used as a dance area. All around it were tables where masked patrons sat enjoying their meals. He approached an elegant suited man with a simple eyemask standing behind a pedestal with a large entry book in front of him. "I am Mr Pact I am a guest of Madam Shino."

The man (whose elegantly curled moustache looked like it had been waxed with solid glass) nodded and ran his finger down a page. "Of course sir, she is eating in private booth number three. I'll have someone lead you there."

The private booth was closed off by a sliding door. It opened. Inside were two bodyguards bracketing the lady Kami. She was wearing a very close fitting black dress that flowed down to her feet with twisting red designs all along it. It had a plunging neckline giving a very good view of her pale bosom. She wore an ornately carved face mask with blue glass over the eyes. Her ebony hair was tied behind her with a thin golden circlet around her head and a pair of chopsticks stuck through the part of her hair before it fell behind her. There was also a weighted jade ball at the end of the ponytail. Her fingernails had been painted red as well. She looked at him "Mr Pact I assume?"

"Indeed madam Shino."

She smiled and her face seemed to just glow. Then it vanished and became cold she tilted her head in the direction of her guards "Leave us."

Her guards filed out of the room. Lelouch paused it was a test of sorts to see if he would reciprocate. If he would trust them that much. He nodded. _He who risks nothing gains nothing. _"You heard her gentleman. Out."

He sat down across from her the guards filed out. She smiled. "Before we get down to business do you want to order? The waiter should be here in a minute."

"Very well." The waiter came in and they both made their orders. Although when the food arrived Lelouch ran a small thin wand hidden in his sleeve over it. The holoimagery in his glasses detected no unusual compounds in his chicken just paprika. As they ate they spoke softly. "So may I assume that Sohni is not your real name either?"

"You may. Although the name of Jim Pact is not exactly false. I can't decide if you are him or are simply stealing his identity for this meeting."

"Well far be it for me to spoil the mystery for you."

"Hmm. Well we're both fond of mystery. I can understand why it is after all a very effective protection. Eventually though we may reach a point in which in order to fully trust one another we must show each other our faces."

"Perhaps but we are not yet at that point."

"True. Unless of course we manage to figure out who the other is before then." She chuckled somewhat at that. "Regardless given that Ohgi has decided to yield to your leadership of his band and your own clear abilities. I believe it is time to provide a greater level of support to you."

"In what way?"

"More funds and weaponry. Although I'm not sure if that would be enough to tempt you so another prize, information."

"What information would that be?"

"There is quite a bit. Too much to safely talk about here. Unless of course you don't feel you need such help?" She was fishing trying to see how eager he would be for assistance and then gauge how much resources he might already command from that reaction.

"More aid is always welcome. But how can you provide such things?"

"Myself and a number of investors possess sufficient resources that I personally could easily supply four times as many people as are currently serving you, without making a dent in my finances."

_Oh I would not be sure of that Lady Kami._ "So I may assume you are a member of the six houses of Kyoto."

She nodded her head as if acknowledging him scoring a point. "If such a thing existed, you could assume I was. Yes. But considering the state of that armor of yours or the fact that you retain the services of Shinigami I think I am safe in assuming that you did not just spring into existence. Your resources suggest that your relationship with him is deeper than a simple one off job you hired him for."

"Since we are both making these assumptions perhaps we should begin talking about more definite things like what we can do for one another."

"Oh I can think of quite a few things we could do to one another but first I think a dance." She walked out onto the floor the movements of her hips causing the long dress to sway gently. "You do know how to dance yes?"

Memories of his childhood at Aires villa and instructors determined that the young prince would indeed know how to dance came back to him. "Yes I do." So he followed her out onto the dance floor.

A Latin dance number started up and Lelouch held her close to his body as they moved up and down the floor together. "You see I may be able to provide you with something a bit better than financial support." She guided his hand so that it molded to the small of her back.

"And what would that be?" He held her tightly as she leaned back giving him an interesting perspective on her chest.

She flowed back upwards like water and whispered in his ear. "The Guren Mk 2 a Japanese made knightmare with high agility and extremely powerful close combat weaponry. Designed by Rakshata Chawla." Lelouch drew in a breath "I see that I've got your attention. Oh look photographers." They turned and several people took camera photos of the pair of them Lelouch holding Lady Kami close as they paused in their dance routine. She whispered in his ear "I'll buy a copy it might seem suspicious if I don't."

"Well we can't have that."

They began dancing again. "If I'm to persuade some of my colleagues to part with it, you might have to perform a few more dramatic victories to convince them you're not a one night wonder. I have full confidence in you of course." Her breath seemed just a little too warm near his ear.

He leaned in. "Very well you will have it may I assume you wish to set up a covert line of communication. I enjoy this place but it may not always be convenient to meet like this."

"Of course." She slipped a smaller envelope into his pocket. "It's routed through several fake accounts but that number will connect you to me straight away. For anything particularly sensitive you might be better of using the less direct message paths outlined in the note. Still don't forget to call if you have to."

"I won't I promise. Until later Miss Shino." He held her hand to his lips and turned away.

**Area 11 Shinjato District**

Tamaki looked around the market and spoke. "Hey guys are you sure this is the right place?"

Ohgi, Kallen and the rest of the resistance fighters (thirty in all) had gathered in the Shinjato district. It was a halfway state between the ghetto's and the Brittanian settlement. A section of old Tokyo that had not been damaged in the war. But nor had the Brittanians spent any effort maintaining it these past seven years. Still in a few places you could see where residents had spent there own time and effort keeping the roads intact or maintaining the facades of buildings. There were small vegetable gardens and chickens in cages on open plots of land. You could see the different colored asphalt circles on the roads. The areas where cheaper or scavenged materials had been used to fix shop fronts and homes. The street lights that had had new bulbs installed or had been replaced with paper lanterns that would be lit come nightfall. Places where the roads were in too bad condition had been formed into impromptu street markets. It gave the place a patchwork imagery like a battered coat held together with patches and pure will. But for all that there was a fierce determination as the people bustled around them trading fish, old clothes and a hundred other things. Things might not be as good as they were, but damn if the people of Shinjato were going to be miserable.

"Yes he was very specific." Ohgi politely pushed away from an elderly woman who was grimly determined to sell him a watermelon. He scanned the area for a sign with red lettering. There. "This way he said we had to use the side entrance." Ohgi led them into an alley way at the end of which was a metal door. Ohgi knocked on the doorway. A large metal slat opened.

"You here to dance?"

"Yes we're here to dance under red roses."

"Hmm. There is quite a few of you. Individual partners or a group?"

Ohgi was a bit puzzled by this. "We're a group."

"Hmm. Who are you looking to dance with?"

Ohgi did remember this part. Shinigami had made it clear that the incorrect response would have complications. "We seek to dance with jack of shadows."

There was a tense silence on the other side of the door. "Of course. Come in sir."

The door opened and the resistance fighters filed in. The man on the other side was thin with a small beard. The room was a concrete rectangle bare walls and a simple chair in the corner with a book on a crate next to it. When they were all inside the guard locked the door behind them. "Go to the end of the hall turn right. Keep going till you reach the end then turn left. Go all the way down the stairs. She will be waiting for you." With that the guard opened the other door and they filed through.

The fighters blinked because now it looked like they were walking down a corridor in a nice hotel. There were even numbered doors on each side. They all stopped as one opened. A pair of Caucasian women walked out. That's when the thought processes of most of the men in the hallway stopped. They were both in good health. The one on the right had red hair green eyes and very sharp features. The one on the right had black hair and was taller then any of the men there. They were also wearing only their bras and underwear. They moved like cats one foot in front of the other. Their shoulders swayed slightly making the muscles under the skin move gently. Drawing attention to their graceful legs. Their hips. The toned stomachs and everything else above them. They walked around the soldiers. They smiled and their hands gently brushed against the men's sides as they walked down the hallway.

Most of the men paid very close attention to their women's backs until the female members of the party stepped in front of them. "Baka." The sharp words broke them out of the reverie and they became aware of the wearied and a bit exasperated faces of Kallen and Sohni the female fighter with the long blue hair. Ohgi who had kept his eyes straight ahead coughed slightly and they continued on. Although even his face became a little strained as soft moans began to echo out from some of the doors along the way.

"Keep moving." They reached the corner and turned.

Kallen spoke up. "Ohgi are you sure this is the right building?"

"The passwords, the address it is all as he said."

At this Sohni spoke up her tone caustic. "You sure there wasn't anything else mentioned. Or were your brains just dribbling out your ears at the sight of all that flesh."

Ohgi narrowed his eyes. "I kept my vision straight ahead and no …" A loud scream from the door next to them interrupted and he paused for a few moments. "There was no mention of anything else."

"Really well what do you suppose. Oh." Then they reached the point where they would turn left, and saw that two men with the toned muscles structure of bodybuilders were escorting a single woman down the hallway. They passed in front of them and to their right. Their muscles were very clearly defined because they were all wearing shorts. Kallen noted that both of them were carrying small metal cylinders in their outer hands. A couple even flashed smiles at the group as they walked past. Sohni made an appreciative noise in the back of her throat. Kallen and some of the other women looked at her. "Alright. Never mind."

They went left and down a set of stairs. As they went down the carpet became less ornate. At the bottom was a black door. They opened it and they all filed into the room. It was dimly lit and then a circle of light appeared. In the middle lounging on a reclining sweet was a vision of beauty. She was Japanese and was wearing a black dress that looked like she'd been poured into it. It was slit below the hip allowing one pale leg to be revealed. A circle of feathers lay around her shoulders with a low cut blouse showing the smooth valley of her breasts. Her long black hair was like a curtain draped along the lounge. In her right hand she held a long wooden cigarette holder. She spoke in a voice like heated silk "So you are the trainees?"

Ohgi felt extremely awkward. "Uhm yes we are here for training."

The woman's eyes roamed over them all lingering on Kallen, Sohni some of the others.

"Well you all seem in good health. You do realize that the training here is ardous. You will be expected to improve your stamina and flexibility."

Kallen whispered to Ohgi. "Ohgi this is a brothel. What the hell have you gotten us into?"

Ohgi narrowed his eyes. "I was told to report here and that a phrase would be given in answer."

"What for? What do you think this place is? I mean what kind of training do you believe you will be undertaking here?"

Tamaki spoke up "Well we thought it would be."

Ohgi rested his hand against Tamaki. Tamaki hesitated. Then Ohgi simply stood there waiting saying nothing.

She smiled. "Well I know exactly what kind of training you should be here for. But do you know if I know the training you know about?" Ohgi remained silent he would not be baited.

The woman tilted her head back and laughed. "Well it's clear you won't be easily lured. Welcome to Ravencroft." At the code phrase Ohgi relaxed. "You past your second test Ohgi. That being you know how to keep your mouth shut even in strange situations."

"Second test?"

"Oh yes how you did in the first will be determined soon enough." She waved her hand towards the far wall and a section of wooden paneling moved back. Exposing some stairs leading further down. "He is awaiting you below."

The walked down and after several flights of stairs they opened a huge pair of double doors. Inside was a massive training area. The part they were in contained rows of lockers. Training weights and weapons racks. A fighting ring lay in the centre. To their right, were another pair of transparent glass doors. Through them Kallen could see the Large grey boxes of knightmare simulators. But the far end of the room opened up onto a massive training range that resembled an urban environment. There were streets and double story buildings with firing positions there was even a small armored vehicle parked on a roadside. Walking out of one of the buildings was Shinigami. He still wore the mask but he was wearing a slimmer set of armor. It looked like black leather and close held scraps of cloth. A large crow cawed from its perch on top of a lamppost.

"Welcome to the Ravenscroft. I trust your journey here was pleasant?" There was an amused edge to Shinigami's voice.

"Well enough."

Tamaki spoke up. "Hey if all our training locations involve that much scenery they'll never stop being pleasant."

Shinigami looked closely at Tamaki like he was a dog who'd learnt to walk on his hind legs. "Yes well they won't be. Besides there are multiple entrances to this place. You've all demonstrated that you have skill with weaponry and can work in a team. But if we are to bring war to Brittania, you must be better. Here we will train you as soldiers. Also in the use of the various equipment and weaponry which you will not have had prior experience with. Before we get to that however." Shinigami walked to a table and pulled back a cloth showing a number of small objects. One of which looked like a fan the other a pair of metal cylinders. There were other small devices like hairpins or clasps. "Hands up anyone who has seen these before."

Sohni, Kallen, Ohgi, Tamaki and two others gestured their acknowledgement.

"Where?"

Kallen spoke up "The fan like object was held in the right hand of the brunette when we entered. That woman with the two men was carrying one of those small discs and the two cylinders were in the men's hands.

Tamaki jutted in. "The woman also had two of those hairpins in her hair."

The rest all nodded. Then Shinigami spoke. "What do you suppose these are then?"

Tamaki laughed. "Well it's obvious it's a fan, hairpins and a pair of sextoys. When do we start training?"

"We are training. Anyone have any other theories?"

Kallen and Sohni both walked forward. Kallen reached out her hand. "Could I have the fan please?" Shinigami handed it to her. "It's a butterfly knife." She flicked a catch at one end and the fan split apart to reveal a knife blade. The ends of the fan forming a handle.

Sohni picked up the hairpins and twisted them revealing that they were actually thin metal stiletto blades. Kallen looked at the two metal cylinders and pointed at thin slits on the ends. "Punch blades but I can't see where the trigger is."

"Very good." Shinigami's voice became deeper in approval. "You do not allow supposition or other distractions to affect your perception of what is." He turned his head towards Ohgi and the others. "Some of you were able to keep your attention focused on your environment despite the distractions that were coming your way. That is very good. Only these two were able to pay close enough attention to see beyond the immediate appearance. Let me make it clear those people you passed were in fact highly accomplished prostitutes. They were also fully capable of killing you."

"And the point of all this was?"

"To understand that our greatest weapon against the Brittanians shall be in knowing what lies at the heart of war. Deception."

"Deception is the heart of war?"

"As you might feint in combat we must misdirect the foe before battle even begins. When we are strong we must appear to be weak. When weak we must seem ready to attack. When our enemies are in our weapons range we must seem too far away. When we regroup they must believe assault is imminent. In this way we shall make Brittania waste their strength while we husband our own."

"So too must we see through the deception of the enemy and know their weakness. If they have strong defences we must undermine them. If they are skilled at range we must close to the attack. When they outnumber us, which will be most of the time we must strike in such a way that they cannot use those numbers effectively."

"Deception is dependant on secrecy. If our enemies learn of our plans they take our strength away. A wise leader must hold his deception so close that even the inner circle and sometimes he himself does not know his plans until he acts upon them."

Ohgi began to get it. "So you'll keep secrets from us."

"Yes. So far you have been operating as a group and you've all known what the others have known. But as Lady Kami your backer has demonstrated secrecy is important. You must accept the fact that Zero and I may not tell you everything until it is time for you to know. That's not to say that we won't tell you anything. You've already been given a very clear idea of the resources you'll be using initially. As our forces grow as more people join us you will form the core of our command structure and will have to deal with the fact that you will know things you cannot share with your subordinates."

"Not very trusting are you?"

"Trust is not the issue it is about winning. To win we must seize every advantage great and small. This is the essence of war. War is the essence of all things from the women haggling over fruit in the market above us to the Brittanian emperor holding court on his throne in Pendragon. Now in those lockers you'll find the armor you'll all be using. Let's run through some urban combat exercises."

They opened the lockers and inside was body armor shaped to look like stylized samurai gear. Layered pauldrons and skirt guards that allowed freedom of movement. Thick strips of blackened metal across the chest. The helmets looked like a cross between a samurai helmet and a hockey mask. Large red goggles over a white face plate with three thin vertical slits running down the face. Luthur gestured to some curtained off alcoves and they all went to get changed when they emerged with the helmets under their shoulders Luthur opened a second series of lockers and handed out their rifles.

When he was done they managed to gather in what could be vaguely described as two wobbly lines. Shinigami then made several corrections often punctuated by whacks to the head. Finally they stood straight. Like soldiers.

"Pain is an effective teacher when you get hit by these rounds you will behave as if it was a real hit, get shot in the leg and you will limp." No one could see his face but somehow all of them knew Shinigami was grinning behind his mask. "Put on your helmets and I'll run a brief tutorial on how to use your tac net and helmet coms. Then you're going to storm the building at the other end of this little town down here."

Over the next several hours Shinigami led the fighters through hell. The building was defended both by automated drones and by other soldiers wearing black combat gear. Whenever they got hit by a bullet they experienced painful electric shocks and data would appear on their helmets HUD's telling them to act as if the arm or leg was useless. Twice they tried to storm the building and were all killed. It hurt badly. By the third try they began using more of the helmets functions using it see camera views from squadmates helmets. On the fourth they maintained discipline and using coordinated fire took the building with heavy casualties. On the fifth they lost again because the enemy started using snipers. Each new battle Shinigami made it more difficult adding new complications forcing them to fight harder.

On the final fight of the day. Kallen was leading a fire team consisting of herself, Sohni, Tamaki and five others. They were attacking the building from two directions and the front entrance looked out onto a square which was covered by an emplaced weapon pit from which Death's troopers were keeping them pinned down. They were about to flank the enemies heavy weapon emplacement and finally secure victory. Then a shock grenade flew over the lip of a wall towards them. They were going to lose. No available cover. Then Tamaki shoved her aside and flung himself onto the grenade. They all winced as he took the full shock into himself and twitched spasmodically.  
"Keep moving." Kallen's soldiers charged around the corner and fired at the black clad soldiers manning the emplaced machine gun analogue that was covering the lower square. "Sohni the gun." As the troopers fell, Sohni seized the weapon and turned it around to blast at the entrance while Ohgi's team charged across the square. In another five minutes they'd taken the building. Then a voice came over the intercom.

"Assemble in the courtyard." They all did and there was Shinigami standing over a still twitching Tamaki. He knelt down next to him. "Tell me Tamaki when that grenade fell. Did you put any thought into what you were doing when you leapt on the grenade to save your team?"

"Uhhhmm, not really no."

Luthur nodded his approval. "Now that is what I am talking about." He turned to the rest. "Training is done see you all tomorrow where we will work on your knightmare piloting.

Tamaki gasped "Wait don't you want to give us some time to rest, we're all going to look kinda roughed up."

Shinigami looked down at him like Tamaki was a man who thought the sky being blue was a revelation. "You're all going to emerge from a brothel looking sweaty and tired. That will not be suspicious at all. Think about it."

**Area 11, Brittanian settlement, Ashford Academy**

It was in the afternoon that four young men approached the dark meeting hall. None of them looked particularly happy. Except of course for Rivalz who was carrying a pair of towels some waterbottles and unbeknownst to the others a pocket camera. They opened the door. Inside the walls were lined with racks holding weapons. Also punching bags, weights and lockers. There was a scroll written in some strange language unfurled and hanging from the far wall.

"What took you guys so long?" Suzaku was standing in the middle of the room next to Luthur. Suzaku was wearing loose white pants and a belted tunic. Luthur wore loose black pants made of a softer material without any shirt.

"We were simply sparring." Luthur's words made them pay closer attention to the thin patina of sweat on both Suzaku and Luthur's foreheads.

"Silat is from Indonesia and many of the other islands in Indochina. It is art form not a sport. There are no ranks within Silat. No belts. You are either a teacher of Silat or you a student of Silat. In Silat there are also no fancy names for moves. You must cleave to the four principles. Leverage, Footing, position and Reach."

The thin blue haired guy Michael Hoss spoke up. "That's sounds simple."

"It is fact more complex than it seems. It is an evolving style especially since it is the only martial art form that has expanded to include not just close combat weapons but firearms into itself."

"Martial art moves with guns?"

"We won't be going into those today. What we will start with is a lesson on what to do if your opponent has a weapon" He picked up a wooden staff. "and you do not."

He moved to the attack his staff whirling around towards the three boys they tried to block with their arms or to dodge. They could not, within moments they were all on the floor. Suzaku however leapt up behind and aimed a heavy kick that struck the centre of the staff and forced Luthur to backpedal. Luthur swung back as Suzaku ducked below the blow and instead he ended up swatting Michael across the backside as he tried to stand making him stumble forwards. Then he and Suzaku broke off. Luthur grinned. "You see when your opponent's weapon grants him reach it is better to attack with your legs."

Lelouch pulled himself up. "You hit us all with that thing."

"So all of you had better try to stop me. Have at you." Thwack.

**Two hours and numerous beatings later**

Jason and Michael were breathing heavily and leaning against each other while Luthur stood with his arms crossed and nodded approvingly. Suzaku by this time had left there was only so much repeated pounding he really needed to witness.

"You two did well."

"You beat the crap out us."

"Thus only the not crap parts are left. Yet you are standing. Tell me before today would you have believed that it would have been possible for you to run twenty times around this building have baseballs flung at your heads, then fight one another with weights strapped to your legs and one eye covered?"

The fatter one Jason spoke up seemingly pained and yet proud. "Uhm no. I would not have thought I could have done all that. "

"Yet you have done this thing you thought you could not do before. Through hardship you have achieved something new. You continue training for one week. After that you can decide whether you want to continue or stop. But I assure you that you will benefit from my training."

Then Luthur turned to the twitching miserable form of his brother on the mat.

"Sigh, no stamina, you can't block, you can't dodge you can't even run away properly. The less said about your kicking the better."

"Uhhhhhgaaaaa."

"However I take hope from the fact that I've never been able to hit you the same way twice. Plus even though your blows are weak your arms reflex response is very good. Your footing was acceptable. I wasn't able to unbalance you half as often I thought I would. So I'm glad to see you remembered the basics from when I taught you as a child. You were actually learning even when I concussed your head to addle your mind."

Lelouch managed to raise his extremely dazed head. "So this death thing that this is meant to prevent? Why is it bad?"

"And a terrible attitude. Lucky for you I like a challenge. See you tomorrow."

Slowly Lelouch hauled himself to the edge of the mat where Rivalz was sitting with a water bottle.

"Rivalz help, I think he's trying to kill me."

"C'mon Lelouch he's only trying to help. Look at this way, he's your brother he's doing this to toughen you up for the world. It's only because he really cares."

"I suppose you're right."

"Plus if you're going to scream could you not be so high pitched? Seriously it gives me a headache."

Lelouch couldn't quite remember how, but the next thing he knew he was holding a bench above his head prepared to smite Rivalz. "DIE THING OF EVIL."

"Wow brother you were holding out on me."

Lelouch came back to himself realizing he was somehow through pure rage holding up a heavy piece of furniture. He quickly put it down.

"No I'm not."

"Oh don't worry I'm glad. The whole point of today was to drive you to your limit. Obviously you have hidden reserves. You are stronger then you look."

Lelouch was smart enough to see where this was going.

"No. No I am weak, I am."

"Still as sneaky as ever, come on then." Grinning like a madman Luthur dodged forward to seize Lelouch's arm and fling him towards the mat.

"Nooooooo."

**The underground base that night**

Luthur sat at a desk several small cameras were around him and he had neurological sensors attached to his head. Across from him sat Lelouch in his light zero suit. Lelouch spoke. "Are you sure about this?"

"We've gathered enough data, now we need verification that one use of Geass renders one immune. For that we need a knowing, consenting subject. Who else would trust you enough?"

Zero chuckled. "No one."

"Exactly. Now I'm going to cover my organic eye for the first test." He held his hand over his living eye. "Geass test one to determine if it is effective through prosthetic optics. This is being recorded. Zero will command me to get up from this chair I shall seek to not obey the command."

Zero activated the slide on his helmet. "Stand up from that chair."

A few seconds passed. Then nothing. "Did I stand up?"

"No you did not. I'll try again. Stand up from the chair." Again nothing happened.

"Still nothing?"

"You did not stand up."

"Very well. Record statement. Geass optical signal must not be properly received through a cybernetic eyeball. Now we test the other eye." Luthur uncovered his organic eye. Still zero did nothing. "Zero. I trust you. Now do it."

"I command you to get off that chair." The red crane flew forth into Luthur's eye.

"No problem." He stood up. He came to and realized he was standing. "So I presume it worked?"

"Indeed." Zero tapped a console and the screen showed a recording of Luthur getting out of his chair along with brainwave readings of his head at the time.

"Yes there is a clear alteration of the electrical activity in the prefrontal cortex and memory centre's while affected by the Geass. Then there is only one test left."

"Yes. I command you to sit down on the floor." Luthur remained standing.

"It is not working. Now we can prove to the concave how they can remain safe from Geass." He turned towards the computer system "End recording system now."

"Excellent who will be the one we contact to confirm the black vault classification?"

"The one responsible for all those little upgrades of mine. This is really more her field anyway."

"I see. Until tomorrow then brother."

Authors note

Derain: I totally confess to ripping off one of the most awesome web comics ever, to finish off this training montage. I could have written it differently. In fact I did. But in the end there are some gems you like too much. This is not the greatest comedic fight training in the world. This is just a tribute.

Luthur: Heheh.

Lelouch: All I know is pain and suffering

Luthur: Oh stop whining It's not like I broke anything.

Suzaku: I feel I may have been portrayed negatively in that first segment.

Derain: It seems that one of the earliest things in Canon was Suzaku beating on Lelouch calling him a thieving Brit and so forth. There are references to him being mean to Kaguya and her meeting Lelouch in the forest. Where Lelouch scared her by pretending he was a demon. She was only seven at the time and to someone who had never seen a Brittanian he would look rather odd.

Physical action (and violence) always seemed to be Suzaku's first solution to a problem. Case in point his father. Didn't really change much from that violent little boy did he?

Lelouch: Hmm I wonder why Kaguya was in that flashback and why was she older?

Kallen: Oh come on.

Luthur: Is this intentional that he not get this?

Lady Kami: Remember irony is often when the guy involved is the last person to know. Actually I kind of enjoy it this way. Him being awkward would be funny but him not even realizing he's being slowly seduced. Priceless.

Derain: Plus remember that in the fic his character is not privy to all the information that the readers are. On that note considering how precocious Kaguya was at fourteen you've really got to wonder what she'll be like at eighteen.

Luthur: Speaking of irony. I see that the resistance fighters had to endure some real awkwardness there.

Derain: Secrecy and deception is one of your greatest weapons. The black knights must have skill at it especially since key members of the group will have to be brought into the upper tiers as the plan progresses. Not Tamaki though. He's a great guy, but mouths off a bit too much. Still we might find a better use for him then being the endlessly recurring mecha mook.

Luthur: Kallen doesn't miss a beat does she?

Derain: It's established in the Canon that she must have a very good and attentive mind. One she still gets high grades even though she is hardly at school with all her resistance fighting. Two in the credits you can see a shot of her getting full scores on her reports as a little kid. Kallen is in fact very, very smart. In the Canon it's just overshadowed by her bad ass fighting and knightmare piloting.

Luthur: Hmm we have more in common than I realized.

Derian: On other things coming up is the Saitama ghetto where we will unleash WAR

War: Hell yes.

Derian: And DEATH

Luthur: Oh Yes

Lelouch: This will be good

Derain: Don't get too ahead of yourself Lelouch. Cornelia is no pushover and the reasons that operation went balls up in Canon had nothing to do with tech and everything to do with bad morale, poor discipline and your own overconfidence.

Cornelia: Indeed little brother. Thinking it would be as easy as Clovis? I'm afraid not.

Derain: And we'll see a deployment of Luthur's personal mecha.

Luthur: What? We're showing it off that soon?

Derain: Well not exactly _showing_ it. Mwahahahaha

Kallen: What do you mean by that?

Derain: Mwahahahahah haha hehehehehahHAH

C.C: Is he ever going to stop?

Luthur: He's in full on rant mode this could go on for ages.

Derain: You will all bow down to my genius MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAH.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer Blah blah don't own anything. Blah blah on with the story.

_Strike fast and suddenly. Attack without warning. Secure victory before the enemy is aware of his danger. Remember always, a war is easily won if your enemy does not know he is fighting._

Attributed to lord solar Macharius

Chapter 13

The Pudding and the Knight

**Area 11, Brittanian settlement government centre. 2017 A.T.B**

In the daylight the government centre looked beautiful. A fortress of steel and glass standing above the rest of the settlement. With the bridge retracted the only aboveground connection to the rest of the settlement was a pair of monorails which had now extended onto the upper level of the fortress.

In one of the knightmare repair bays. Cornelia could tell when someone was trying to sell her something. In this case Lloyd Asplund whose report on his new knightmare had the clear purpose of getting her to allow him to deploy it.

"I understand the Lancelot's pilot is an eleven?"

"An honorary Brittanian yes."

I'm promoting him to warrant officer. That should satisfy him. I'm trying to win without relying too heavily on the numbers. Besides soon there should not be too many scenarios where we will need him anyway."

**Area 11, Brittanian Settlement, Ashford academy**

After failing to convince Cornelia Lloyd ordered the whole Lancelot team to pack up for the day. Suzaku went to Ashford academy (and away from Ceciles cooking experiments.)

When he got to the students council room the door opened and he could see Kallen arguing with Shirley. "There is nothing between Lelouch and I or Luthur either for that matter." Then she stormed off. Suzaku was about to ask what all the fuss was about when the TV in the corner of the room switched to the logo indicating a breaking news bulletin.

Across Japan an emergency broadcast informed the public that the Saitama ghetto was being sealed off in preparation for a military operation. "The populace is believed to be sheltering the terrorist group known as the Yamato Alliance. The purge should begin in two hours." In one of the news vans someone spoke up. "Why are we broadcasting so early?"

Diethard Reid was displeased at the man's naivete. "To draw in Zero obviously."

The Devil and the Witch

In the base below Ashford academy Lelouch and his witch were having an argument while he donned the grey combat gear of a Brittanian soldier.

"Even after what's already happened you doubt my ability to win?"

"But it is obviously a trap."

"Of course it is but they went to so much trouble, besides there are some questions I wish to ask Cornelia."

"Cornelia is not Clovis besides, defeating Brittania or discovering who killed your mother. Which is more important to you?"

"They are both of equal importance. The members of the royal family are fighting to see who shall succeed the emperor. Or rather they are being forced to fight by that man." A memory of his father flashed in his vision and he gritted his teeth.

"But the very thing you hate is what makes Brittania Strong. The one left standing is the one best suited to becoming emperor."

"Exactly the weak are destroyed or cast aside."

"Survival of the fittest is the most basic rule of all."

Lelouch slammed down his case in anger.

"If that's true than what happens to Nunnally? Am I simply to cast her aside because she is weak? No I will wipe out that kind of world myself."

At that point a large shadow appeared behind C.C Luthur spoke up. "We should not discard the weak. We must help them become stronger. Then they too can contribute to the whole. Look at Nunnally in Brittania the doctors called her a lost cause. Now she can walk with servo assistance. In a few years with cybernetic augmentation she won't even need that. Not sure if her blindness is physical or psychological but we're working on it. Would any of that have been possible if Lelouch threw her aside? No." Luthur walked over towards C.C. "Besides if you are so worried about your precious contractors you can come and help. Perhaps seeing us in action will allay any doubts you might have." He leaned in close "As opposed to shooting people because you don't want them to go into battle" He whispered in her ear as his hand slid down her back and took the pistol she'd been holding. "If you don't trust us, how can we trust you? I will be watching you C.C"

"Enough the pair of you." Lelouch walked over towards C.C. "Luthur threatening her with violence is not the answer." Lelouch reached out took the pistol and then held it against his own head. "In her eyes you can see it. The gaze of one utterly unconcerned by death. Not because she believes her self unkillable even if in her case it may be true." He leaned forwards and pressed the gun barrel harder into his head. While C.C leaned back her face set but still displeased that he had read her intentions. "Because she would not give a damn if she did die. I've seen others with those eyes of yours. Some of them even serve me. But I know you value my life and Luthur's because if we die we can't fulfill this contract of yours. But I haven't spent seven years working towards my goal to be stopped now not even by the threat of pain or death. Help us, get out of my way but don't try and stop us."

The Horsemen

**Area 11, Saitama Ghetto 2017 A.T.B**

In a darkened cockpit Luthur sat garbed in his power armor. A series of metal cables were plugged into the back of his helmet. Others jacked into the back of the armors spine. The dull glow of electronics danced across his bone mask. Behind him a man with a pair of scars trailing down his right cheek and chin length blue hair typed at a computer screen his face illuminated by the monitor. One eye was covered by a rectangular glass lens with several faint red circles rotating on the surface. Kakashi had been at Luthur's side ever since being assigned to him as an aide back in the days of the ATLAS project. Where Luthur had achieved one of the greatest scientific and technological discoveries in human history. Together they had fought their way across occupation Japan and found Lelouch. And ever since Luthur had begun using the Reaper even in its earlier prototype version, Kakashi had been his moderator. Luthur spoke into the Mech's vidcom where Lelouch sat garbed in the body armor of a Brittanian soldier.

"So the Crowmother's interpretation of the information was correct."

"Indeed, the troop movements, the requests for all the situation reports on the Shinjuku incident and the requisitioning of additional ammunition to the supply depots near Saitama. Which just happens to be where the Yamato alliance is located. Cornelia maintains very good operational security. I just don't think she realizes how much is given away by relying on the established Area 11 logistics system." Thanks to Clovis whenever Cornelia did anything using the government communications and networks the conclave could find out about it. On there own, the mass of seemingly inane details and statistics gave away nothing. But when you put it all together a pattern would emerge. Even if she kept her plans and objectives secret her intentions could be read like an animals trail was read by a hunter.

"She's sealed the ghetto off and done a much better job than Clovis did. From their communications I believe she's already blocked off any underground routes leading into the ghetto large enough for our vehicles. Subway and tunnel connections with entrances outside the perimeter are still clear. We can get a few infantry squads through no more. We'll have to rely mainly on the local troops. Who I'm sure will maintain excellent discipline" Luthur's acid sarcasm could have burned through solid tritium. His previous encounter with the Yamato alliance had left him singularly unimpressed.

"Just as well we had you move War and his private car in beforehand. Still confident that you will be able to penetrate their security with the Reaper in broad daylight?"

"Please remember who you're talking to I could do this even without the shroud."

"I hope you don't forget to use it if the time comes however."

"If I do this right, I won't need it."

"That reluctance wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that it is the one piece of equipment in your death machine you didn't personally invent and design?"

"No it is not. That system is a power hog that requires an additional third of the generators total capacity to work. I can't run it for more than half an hour without producing enough heat and other emissions to look like an exploding napalm bomb on a thermal scanner."

"And your own large scale, far more efficient cloaking device didn't work either."

" Humph_. _I'll just start the checklist now."

Luthur terminated the vidcom and then reached out and tapped several physical buttons on the console in front of him.

"This is Death in command of deep strike Nobuseri Battlemech REAPER. My moderator is Kakashi Tokawa Execution log activating Mission 87-S-00 commence recording. Commence pre launch checklist. Kakashi, Reactor?"

"Plutonium sakuradite superconducting fission reactor PROMETHEUS is running at 25% capacity. Fuel rods two to four are fully retracted. Irradiated liquid uranium sakuradite variant RED MERCURY is currently being used in the primary chamber. Molten lead and bismuth cooling mix in usage. Internal cooling and safety measures are operating with no faults. Reactor chamber armored core shielding is fully intact." Luthur's blue haired lieutenant typed calmly away at his computer monitor behind the pilot seat.

"Power distribution?"

"60 percent current available power devoted to propulsion and actuation. 20 percent sensors. 20 percent EW and masking systems."

"Movement?"

"Myomer muscle cables are at operating at 100 percent limb and hand articulation fully functional. Anti gravity suspension field and maneuvering tractors are operating. Booster rockets are currently unavailable. High speed accelerators are offline. At current power distribution and given the need for stealth we can only travel at 20 percent maximum speed."

"Weapons?"

"At current power output and allocation the variable Graser weapon HARVESTER is unavailable. All energy based weapons systems not available. All close range non powered weaponry is functional. The left arm's gravitic harpoon is available. Twin night stalker rifles with silenced function are equipped with 3000 AP rounds in ammo storage."

"Sensors?"

"Thermal, electromagnetic, sonar, ultraviolet, high function telephoto camera, chemical sensor system, standard function cameras, radar, lidar and camera hookup to raven drone net all running. Seismic sensor spikes stand at twenty prepped for deployment. Full sensor suite is online. Transferring to helmet camera and monitors."

"Defence systems?"

Laser Point Defence system is on standby but not online. Reactive armor is at 100% function. Smoke and chaff launchers are online. Anti laser targeting system is on standby.

"Control systems?"

"Neurohelmet operating. Hardlink connection to Mech system complete. Brainwaves mapping and datastreaming at 100 percent. Reaper's gyros have synchronized with pilot's sense of balance. Arm and synthetic muscular system synchronized with relevant neural activity. Haptic interface is registering as fully functional. Confirm?"

"Confirmed" Luthur nodded as an ocean of shifting holograms danced before him manipulated by his hands and his voice. He could feel the rest of the mech faintly like a phantom limb. Aware of its presence beyond his body in the cockpit. That was as far as it went however.

"Available mapping data?"

"We have tapped into enemy comms. EW suites are prepared to attempt hacking. Raven drones are communicating using pulse lasers and longwave microburst's. Enemy IFF net is available. Constructing tactical Map from incoming data stream." A three dimensional hologram of the ghetto appeared formed from the camera views of the ravens (The larger purely robotic cousins to the crowborgs), the data from friendly knightmares, visual feed from orbiting satellites and the rest of the stream of information being absorbed and interpreted by the Reaper's powerful computers.

"Engage void sig system."

"Heat emissions masked, electronic profile masked, radiological signature masked, Sound generation is now at zero. Corruptor virus broadcast is ready. Blizzard jamming missiles are armed and prepped. Shroud system is on standby with short burn heat sinks prepared. We are silent."

"The checklist is complete. We shall initially focus on using the Raven drones to hack and overwrite enemy radio and IFF. Engage propulsion. Reaper now hunting."

At the edge of the river in a small cove out of sight, bubbles disturbed the surface before a giant twisted shadow emerged from the water.

All around the ghetto tanks, knightmare, APC's and infantry squads formed up.

At one end of the ghetto Cornelia sat on her commanders chair in the G-1 Base. While on the screen before her the circle of blockading units formed. "We've confirmed this is the location of the Yamato alliance?"

Darlton nodded. "Yes milady they've been hiding in this area. Half of the populace is colluding with them"

"What of the loss in production?"

"Primary sector output should drop by about zero point zero two percent."

"Acceptable." Then Cornelia turned her head towards the three officers to her left. "All of you participated in the Shinjuku disaster correct?"

Three officers off to the side nodded "Yes and we're extremely grateful for you're mercy."

"That's not what I'm asking. Would you say the conditions here are similar?" she smiled. "To those in Shinjuku."

A force of twenty Brittanian soldiers cornered a number of Japanese in a small square. With only one part of it opening out onto the street there was no way out. They then shot down a man in front of a crowd.

A bespectacled Japanese cried out in shock. "Why are you doing this? There are children here, these people have done nothing."

"Exactly you do nothing to reveal the terrorists hiding here. You cover for them. That's treason against a suzerain state." The soldiers lifted their rifles. They did not even notice what appeared to be a large black robotic bird perched above them. "Now you will.." He never finished the sentence for in that moment a massive figure smashed into the ground in front of them. The giant sword the figure had held out in front of him cleaving the soldier in two straight down the middle.

The sword was held in a gigantic clawed fist of steel and then swung around tearing through the soldier's body armor like paper their blood and guts trailing like banners in the wake of its swing. In its normal hand the giant warrior held a huge boxy rifle with a wide barrel. It made harsh exploding noises as it fired. Its ammo flew forth on trails of fire before impacting into the Brittanians. Then the rounds exploded blasting open ribcages and dismembering limbs. In only six seconds of combat, ten soldiers had been killed in a gore fest explosion. Even in shock the trained Brittanian soldiers opened fire only to see their rounds bounce off the giant's gleaming armor. Their radio calls were met only with static. Then War skewered another man with his sword and then held him in front like a shield as he attacked the rest of the squad. The ones on the left made to pull back and were shot in the back by Tamaki who was holding a bullpup rifle and a huge grin. Anyone he missed were mowed down by the fireteam of five soldiers in black body armor and white scarves over their faces. War pinned the last soldier to the ground with his sword. The soldier looked up to the face under the red hood. A face covered in an uncaring iron mask molded to the warrior's features. Then War stomped on his head and spoke. "Pathetic. Death I trust that my little exercise is unnoticed?"

A voice came over his helmet communicator. "The raven jammed them perfectly. Its already relaying area cleared reports in that lieutenants voice back to the enemy. I'm always amazed at the stupidity feeling invincible creates. No one stops to think that herding a bunch of defenceless civilians into a three sided courtyard cuts you off from line of sight of your own forces."

"Indeed." War's face turned towards the civilians and who he assumed had been the ghetto's civilian leadership. "People of Saitama. I am War. I go now to deliver brutal death to the Brittanians. These men." He gestured to the black clad troopers moving forwards. "Will see you to safety. Follow their instructions as you value your lives."

War looked up towards the giant robotic bird perched on a building. On closer inspection you could see that the outstretched wings had turbofans in them. He saluted it and turned to Tamaki. "Tamaki I think its time we got ourselves into a more protected vehicle."

Tamaki ever the enthusiast fist pumped into the air. "Hell yes its time for some Brittanian roadkill." The more professional black armored soldiers said nothing.

Back in the G-1 Base Cornelia explained her plan. "We've recreated the conditions that occurred in the Shinjuku incident. If Zero's the prideful type I expect he'll try to kill me."

"Princess Cornelia you're using yourself as bait."

Cornelia sighed. "What you fail to understand is that war is a battle between pride and life. Darlton?"

"We've succeeded in clearing away those in charge."

"Very well then spring our trap."

Lelouch sat in his covert unit. Externally it looked identical to a Sutherland but inside was a far more sophisticated communication system then such a unit would normally carry. He watched the data playing out before him. Through triple encrypted relays he could see the battle forming in front of him.

_Generals always fight the last war. You've recreated the Shinjuku ghetto and intend to change the script Cornelia. Well so do I. Let's begin. _

The Brittanian forces advanced. Buildings were shelled to force civilians into the street where they were gunned down. A woman ran carrying her child only to be blasted into the air by a tanks cannon. APC's rolled down streets deploying troops and clearing laneways with machine gun fire. It was methodical, ruthless and absolutely thorough. Troops moved in pincer formations and gunned down civilians unopposed or so it seemed. In the G-1 Base the icon representing a pair of knightmares flickered for a single moment then steadied. It was barely noticeable but an attentive officer decided to check in with them. "Sir Gerald, Sir Mallory confirm position and report."

"Grid two six by Seven, seven. Nothing here but a few stragglers." The gruff voice of Sir Gerald came over the com system followed by the distinctive chatter of knightmare anti personnel rounds. "We're proceeding through the south."

"Confirmed Sir Gerald."

On the rooftop of a damaged parking lot Gerald's knightmare lay leaking blood. The frame looked perfectly normal until you looked at the cockpit block which appeared to have been crushed like a beer can. Thin rivulets of gore flowed out of the abused and twisted metal. The other knightmare simply knelt. The single hole shot clean through the side of the cockpit the only hint as to the pilot's demise. Suddenly both knightmares began sliding across the cracked concrete. There were no wires or cables to be seen. But the two frames scraped along the grey surface like they were being towed towards a large hole that had been blasted in the parking lot roof. They passed the lip of the hole and seemed to hover there for a moment before tumbling down into the black depths of the ruin.

In his cockpit death watched the scene and then tapped his communicator speaking in Gerald's voice. "Confirmed G-1"

In a dingy basement the leaders of the Yamato alliance assessed the situation. It was bad.

"The Brittanians have covered all entrances we can get one or two people out but that's all."

The unkempt leader looked at his subordinate and frowned. What about the other districts like Akakbani or Jojo can they send support?"

Another soldier ran in and held out a radio. "Forget about them, listen to this."

"I am Zero." All around the table there were gasps of surprise. "I assume you all heard about the Shinjuku incident do what I tell you and you will win."

In the G-1 base Brittanian com officers coordinated the battle.

B-12 suppression complete, F-7 no sign of the enemy, P 12 move to point 5-1-6

"Yes my lord moving to 5-1-6

A pair of knightmares leapt from rooftop to rooftop. Inside the broad faced and moustached pilot of the lead knightmare smirked. "No resistance this Zero is a no show."

His fellow agreed "Yes I guess he's just a run of the mill terrorist."

He never heard a reply because at that point a pair of missiles struck both of them in their factspheres.

The Yamato alliance rebels were amazed. "They came they really came!"

"Just like Zero said they would.'

From atop a building Lelouch activated his infiltrators factsphere recording the fiery explosion as he reviewed the battlenet data. "Now should I draw more in or make an opening?"

He moved his hands in a clockwise pattern as he connected to the haptic interface prioritizing his communications. R-1 R-2 continue to fall back. Draw them to the area where N7 is, B-12 and H-1 open fire at two o'clock and seven o'clock respectively.

A pair of six wheeled tanks were blown apart by anti armor fire.

"P-5's team will commence barrage."

Six Yamato knightmares ambushed a Brittanian squad and ripped them to pieces firing their weapons on full auto. The amount of rounds compensating for any lack in accuracy.

"Gester team lost. Unit five is engaging at point 5-9-2. Kazinki team engaging they were ambushed."

"The enemy seems to be using Sutherlands captured from our own forces."

The grey clothed officers spoke in anticipation. "It's just like in Shinjuku."

Has there been any sign of Zero yet?" throughout it all Cornelia remained calm and expressionless.

Lelouch's face was a mirror a mask of calm as his violet eyes darted over the comprehensive map of the battlefield before him.

"N-2 continue towards the North East." Enemy infantry were mowed down by knightmare fire.

"R-4 open fire." An enemy VTOL over the southern section was impaled by slash harkens.

"N-1 take the guy on the left." Another tank was blasted apart using anti armor rounds as it passed under a bridge.

"H-1 commence firing on point 26 by 36 fire down the line of the street utilize a shrapnel round."An infantry squad was advancing down a street when there was a massive boom and a heavy shell landed right in the middle of their squad killing them all.

"R-2 engage enemy troop carriers H-1 provide crossfire." A pair of APC's fighting the rebels fell back before being blown apart by heavy weapons fire from a side street. When the rebels reached the street there was nothing there and a direct order from zero diverted them elsewhere.

Two knightmares took cover in a ruined buildings upper level while they drew targeting on the rebels moving below them. "K-1 eliminate enemy snipers." The first knightmare fell forward as a hail of heavy rounds came from within the cavernous interior of the ruin to shred him apart. His fellow turned and fired back into the building. For three seconds there was nothing then the sound of snapping beams and breaking stone echoed back towards him. The knightmare opened fire again then flung in a chaos mine for good measure. He kept backing towards the massive hole in the buildings side that they had come in by. Then the sound stopped the whine of the superheated flechettes of the mine ended. All was silent. The pilot activated his factsphere which confirmed there was nothing ahead in the ruined structure. Then an enormous gaunt metal hand punched down through the ceiling crushed his frames head and yanked him straight up into darkness.

"B-3 and B-4 take squad two and circle around behind."

A squad of Brittanian infantry were mercilessly gunned down by the coordinated fire of two knightmares and a ten man team of Japanese.

Then the bridge exploded and sent infantry tanks and knightmares tumbling into the river.

War looked at it on a viewscreen "Hmm very good work Famine."

A woman's voice entered the cockpit but with no visual feed. "Of course it is good work it's me. I love the bridge deathtrap gag. So many deaths with so little explosive. Good hunting H-1."

"Point seven has fallen Hally team contact lost."

Cornelia's calm voice cut through the panic. "All forces fall back. Further casualties and damage serve no point."

"Fall back. We can still win this."

"We can't fight them like this."

"All forces fall back behind ghetto perimeter at once formation does not matter. Fall Back behind Ghetto perimeter at once."

"Hmm pulling back so quickly?" Lelouch studied the icons falling back from the centre then tapped at one point on the south east part of the circle far from the G-1 base. H-1 the enemy forces retreating to the south east section near you, cut them off. They're in a cleared zone so feel free to use as much firepower as you want.

"Oh yes."

**Area 11, Ravenscroft, three days earlier**

Death stood calmly as he talked to the thin and extremely volatile Tamaki.

"Tamaki when you pilot a knightmare when you focus upon the movement of the mech, the location of your squad and the killing of your foes. You suck. … Abysmally."

Shinigami paused. "In fact you are shot both by the enemy and by our own side to a degree that is statistically improbable. What is even more improbable is the fact that you always emerge unharmed. Yet you have good reflexes and a remarkable ability to process rapidly changing data in a combat situation. It's nothing to do with your actual skill you're just consistently unlucky."

To his credit Tamaki was not one to let such a frank and brutal description of his abilities faze him. "You're going to try and train me to a better knightmare pilot?"

"No even if you were far better than you are now you would probably still get shot. So we're going to put you in control of a vehicle where it does not matter that you attract enemy fire. I'm going to train you so you can help operate that." And he pointed to the darkened area of the chamber. Lights came on and Tamaki gasped.

"What is that?"

"That is what you will be aiding me in operating Tamaki." Stepping out of the shadows was a improbably huge man. He was even taller and broader than Shinigami more enormous than any human should be. And garbed in terrifying steel plate. The man looked like he could carry a jeep on his back.

"I am War and you shall be my co pilot."

**Area 11, Saitama Ghetto, the Present **

The side of a building erupted in a cloud of falling debris. Charging out of the smoke like a chariot from hell was a massive tank. It had been painted a dull concrete grey with red striping along the side. Its design resembled the tracked vehicles of an earlier age. It looked like a large box with the front sloping down in the shape of a giant triangular dozer blade used by snowploughs. Above the blade sat the round form of a fixed heavy cannon with a shortened barrel. A pair of large grey metal boxes bracketed it. Circular hatches retracted and on each side of the blocky monstrosity a pair of quadlinked sponson guns swiveled back and forth firing heavy bolter rounds that targeted the fleeing knightmares. At the back roof of the tank another black weapon no longer than a meter in length spun around and raised its barrel to the sky. The rear behind where the tracks ended were a pair of wide monster truck wheels made of gleaming metal. And what almost looked like rocket engines. The forward cannon moved its barrel upwards and thundered. The shell blasted into the building opposite and exploded with enough force that a corner of the structure fell away.

As the knightmares maneuvered, the tanks right gun swung outwards and mercilessly shredded through the wreckage a squad of Brittanian soldiers had been hiding behind.

A third knightmare leaped onto a building to escape the withering fire. It turned around and began firing its rifle at the enemy. His radio call reached Cornelia's base. "Contact with enemy armor unidentified heavy tank." His message got through but suddenly his radio erupted into static. Then the grey boxes blew off and a pair of massive chained harpoons shot from launchers at the front of the tank. The second one speared right through his frames leg. Gears on the tank spun in reverse and the pilot cursed as he was dragged off the roof. Before he could right himself the enemy accelerated forwards and smashed through his knightmare with its sharpened dozer blade. Loud speakers carried Wars battle cry across the street. "Die Brittanian SCUM!"

Inside the tank Tamaki who was currently controlling the right sponson gun as he played it over the Brittanian soldiers cried out "Hell yeah."

War considered Tamaki and marveled at how little he had changed in the five years since he had last met him. He recalled when Luthur had told him they would be using Naoto's old group to form the black knights.

_He had only one question for Luther then. "Does Kallen know?"_

"_I have not told her what happened to her brother. Not my place even if it was not classified. But War you must understand she and Ohgi will most certainly be brought into the inner circle eventually. She will learn the truth then." _

"_She may not think well of me after that."_

"_We may argue over who is more responsible for her Brothers death but in the end you were far closer to Naoto then I was. When the time comes she should hear the truth from you." _

War shook himself out of his reverie. "Alright Famine blow the charges along the south east quadrant." Demolition charges went off in a dozen buildings on the south east edge of the circle the Brittanians had cordoned. They collapsed creating a massive cloud of expanding dust, fire and smoke. The raven's link into the Brittanian IFF net showed three Brittanian knightmares diverting course from the destruction and heading east straight towards him. War issued an order to the Yamato alliance. This is H-1 to P-2 and R-2 hit the Brittanians trying to retreat past the west edge of the firebreak we've just made. They'll be heading along shinkaos and Gin Street. I'll take the East."

War barked an order. "No more sneaking around. Tamaki take control of the forward cannon and both side guns." War gunned the engine and they began accelerating down the street.

Tamaki wiped his brow "It's getting kind of hot in here."

"There is no air conditioner."

"Super advanced technology and we can't have decent climate control?"

"There was no room after we put in all the guns."

The Knight and the Crush

**Area 11, Ashford academy**

In a small room being set up for the student councils new pet Shirley had a conversation with Suzaku about her crush, Lelouch.

"Honestly I didn't like him at first he was so flippant and the only thing he worked hard at was avoiding hard work. But back when we were both freshmen I happened to run into him at a traffic accident. A driver rear ended an elderly couple. He was clearly at fault but he got out and tried to blame it on the old drivers of the other car. That old man had a pretty impressive pair of lungs himself. And then Lelouch got out of his car walked over and calmly hooked the offender car onto the cable of a passing tow truck. Then he got back in the sidecar like nothing had happened. He did not do it to boast about it. He did it with the same bored look he always has. That's when I got interested. What's up with this guy? What goes on in his mind? What does he want to do? I really wanted to know and in the process of finding out I."

"You fell in love with him?"

"Is that what this is?"

The Horsemen

**Area 11, Saitama Ghetto**

Meanwhile Lelouch smirked as he hooked up with the retreating forces in his Sutherland. "Cornelia you have no chance, you're going to lose."

Lelouch had already maneuvered his frame in amongst the forces retreating to the north

In the command base Cornelia smirked. "Zero is no match I will win."

"Huh"

"Of course this is why Cornelia is called the Goddess of victory."

Cornelia turned her head to the left. "Shall we go then Guildford my knight?"

"It is my honor to obey you milady."

Lelouch's knightmare stood amongst the others in front of the G-1 Base.

Have I cleared the task at hand already? No If I'm going to sneak in I'll need to create an opening.

Meanwhile in an underground basement the green haired witch lay back on a tattered bunk.  
"You can't fight your own blood can you? Regardless that kind of person is dangerous."

Then C.C's face changed as if annoyed by a persistent insect. "All right I'll do it. Just who do you think I am anyway?" She got up and grabbed a small suitcase and a radio. "Alright Death I'll get into position." She probably didn't notice the small rat that had been watching her.

Lelouch moved aside as he watched squadrons of Gloucesters. Cornelia's personal guard entering the ghetto. "You're desperate Cornelia using your royal guard in such a manner." _Or is it something else?_ Across from him Lelouch could see a pair of crowborgs perched on the rubble. _Still watching me then Crowmother? "_Hmm?" He noticed that his phone was ringing. "But I thought that the party for the cat was tomorrow?

The Knight and the Crush

**Ashford Academy**

Suzaku was holding an ornate phone while he tried to help Shirley. "Its no problem I'll ring up on your behalf and see how he feels about you."

Shirley's face burned red with embarrassment. "You would do that?"

"It will be no problem."

"What NO WAY" Shirley moved faster then even she thought possible grabbed the phone and slammed it down with enough force to shake the table and cause the Cat's perch to tumble over. As Shirley struggled with Suzaku they fell over with Suzaku lying on top of her.

The cat showed itself an excellent judge of character and bit Suzaku on the hand.

"Does that hurt?"

"Extremely."

The Horsemen

**Area 11, Saitama Ghetto**

The signal cut out. Lelouch berated himself for not deactivating the phone earlier and turned it off. Then tapped another communicator. "Let's see if you take the bait. N-1 move to point four and then activate your IFF. Act as a Brittanian unit."

"We've picked up a distress signal from inside the ghetto. One knightmare transmitting an IFF from the south east"

"Can you contact it? Scramble a rescue team."

"No destroy it."

"What? He might be a captive of the enemy."

"I ordered them to fall back. Follow your orders even if it costs you your life. My men understand that perfectly. Deploy the Harrier team to point 2-7-9 as well with their IFF's switched to frequency five."

In the cockpit of his Harrier Jeremiah grinned with excitement. "At last a chance to redeem my honor. I'm coming for you Zero. Viletta you're with me."

Meanwhile N-1 watched as three Brittanian Gloucesters accelerated towards him. Then they lowered their lances. The pilot exclaimed in panic. "What the hell can't you read the IFF? I'm on your side." Then his nerve broke and he opened fire. The Gloucesters leaped out of the way Guilford landing behind him and skewering the frame with his lance. The other two were almost superfluous but the destruction of the rebels frame was total.

_Hmm not even waiting for confirmation?_ "N-2 transmit IFF then fall back to the hospital ruins. R-1 R-2 open fire on attacking units only."

"They are transmitting another IFF which means that it's a trap. Send in more Gloucesters and surround them.

Lelouch watched the movement of the Gloucesters especially as they stopped. _Not pursuing? _"R-1 R-2 fall back now."

"Gloucesters have arrived at the position no sign of the enemy."

Cornelia smiled "He anticipated my move we may really be dealing with Zero."

"P-2 N-3 circle around behind the enemy." There was no response over the com. "P-2 N-3 respond." A radio lay at the centre of an abandoned encampment.

"B-1 B-2 move in."  
"Like hell there is no way we can beat Cornelia's royal guard. That's a death sentence I'm out." The leader of the Yamato alliance pushed the eject system on his frame.

"They are giving up. Damn it. H-1 I need you to stiffen morale. They are moving to point 73- 56. Punish them."

"Yes my lord."

Six Yamato alliance fighters downed their weapons and advanced arms up towards the another team of Gloucesters. "Hey we surrender. We won't resist, spare us."

Cornelia narrowed her eyes "Kill them."

As the Gloucesters small anti infantry gun swiveled. A massive tank charged across the street and interposed itself blocking the knightmares fire. Its right sponson gun turned to the enemy and opened fire while the gun on its top swiveled around. The three royal guards dodged the hail of ammunition. Retreating backwards and then dodging out of line of sight. However the top mounted gun instead fired a straight white line of energy that burned onto the retinas of anyone looking at it. It struck the last of the enemy knightmares in the chest just before it could fall back behind a corner. Sparks and multiple bursts of flame shot out of every joint, crack and even the black metal visor of its head. Then it exploded. The weapon generating a massive crack of thunder after it discharged.

The soldiers of the Yamato alliance were awed at their salvation. Then the gun on the tanks side that faced them turned and fired. Tearing them to ribbons.

A harsh voice echoed over the radios of the Yamato alliance. The cultured tone of Zero had now become a voice as cold and utterly merciless as the depth of winter. "Listen you cowardly scum. There is a reason the innocent people of Saitama are being slaughtered. It is you. For years they have sheltered you. Aided you as you launched your little raids on Brittania. Now that the time has come for you to bleed in their defence you give up? No you will stand and ensure their safety. You may think you can escape Brittania but you can never escape me for I am Zero."

"And I War shall break your legs and bring you before him for judgement."

"And I Famine shall make your last days those of privation and despair"

"And I Death shall lead you to the executioners block."

Zero's cold voice returned to them all. "You will either be heroes or you will be cowards. I was merciful in having war kill the first batch of deserters. The punishment for your cowardice from now on is a life sentence and by life we mean that you won't be allowed to die no matter how desperately you beg us to kill you."

Wars harsh voice echoed across the radio's "Now prove you are true men and get back into the fight."

A hail of very nervous 'Yes sirs' immediately shook the radio waves.

War maneuvered his battle tank and accelerated down the street. Information from the Raven drones revealed something unpleasant. Two teams of Gloucesters were keeping pace with him along the rooftops. And another was approaching by the side street. They were going to corner him and strike him down with their lances. "Not today Brittanians. Tamaki raise the anti gravitic suspension field to sixty percent."

Tamaki pushed forwards on a lever next to him. "Sixty percent aye."

The tank started to accelerate, the tracks pulling it along the rubble faster.

"Thrusters Prepped?" The blips of the approaching Gloucesters came closer.

"Ready."

"Prepare to jump on my mark three, two, one MARK." A pair of Gloucesters charged around corners to ambush the fleeing tank. Only for it to pass them. By flying over their heads on a trail of fire. Boosters underneath and at the back propelled the vehicle upwards as it did the guns on its side swiveled down and fired at the Gloucesters. Blasting the factsphere clear off one of them. The Tank landed hard on a cracked rooftop before continuing onwards and blasting off again. When it reached the next building it turned around and fired its main gun back at the enemy.

"Princess Cornelia we're fighting a flying … tank?"

"Could you confirm that Guilford?"

A vid image was transmitted and Cornelia raised her eyebrows at the sight of an armored fighting vehicle leaping from rooftop to rooftop like an insane skateboarder.

Meanwhile a squad of Yamato fighters and two knightmares were advancing under zero's direction to the south east. Suddenly there was a terrible whistling sound. One of the fighters recognized it. "Mortars." Only half of the fighters managed to duck for cover before the shells slammed down upon them. Then both of the knightmares exploded from hidden enemy fire.

This is "Jeremiah in Harrier team, enemy force eliminated."

"Proceed."

The Yamato alliance continued the fight but another squad was eliminated out of visual range before Lelouch realized what was going on. "She's got a team operating off the IFF net."

The Harriers used their guns as sniper rifles confusing the fighters with indirect mortar fire before taking out the knightmares. Their targeting parameters were very simple. Kill anything that was not a Gloucester knightmare.

Lelouch accessed a vid feed from one of the ravens. "Harriers, they've deployed a harrier team."

Lelouch's warning came over the Ruins intercom

"The enemy has deployed Harriers using high powered anti armor guns."

War replied as he sped the tank over the rooftops. "I noticed." He cursed as another AP round tore into the side. The ablative armor took the hit but he knew that another strike there would be unsustainable. And with the harriers greater mobility he could not afford to drop down into the streets unless he shook pursuit.

"Tamaki you drive while I return fire." Tamaki engaged the boosters and the Ruin shot off the rooftop to crash through a burning office building and then out the other side. The harriers followed leaping from roof to roof top. "Tamaki hard right." The tank swerved across the building and War fired the sponson gun back at the enemy. "We're going to run out of ammunition soon enough I'm firing the Raiden" The top gun swiveled and another beam of white light blasted towards the foe. This time however the enemy dodged beside a steel girder which took the hit.

"War break off and head for the river. D-5 D-8 set up an ambush at point nine and fire on the enemy as they chase him"

However as the vehicle began following the downward slope of rooftops to the river Jeremiah could see that its route took it between two taller buildings. Where an ambush could easily be. "Viletta, George open fire at the two buildings across use anti material rounds."

The heavy rifle shots bracketed the tank. And slammed into the buildings and out the other side. Only one of the enemy knightmares was damaged. Some slight scoring on the cockpit block. However their nerve broke and both of them broke cover early, swerving around the edge of the buildings to open fire. Where the Harriers promptly killed them both with chest shots. "Tamaki I'm firing the forward cannon." The front weapon blasted a massive hole in the building ahead. Then War fired three more shots. The building began to topple. Towards them.

"Uh War"

"Keep going prepare to cut the anti grav and swerve right on my mark."

The Harriers fire narrowed. Then the right sponson gun was blasted off by a high velocity round. But the one who'd fired left himself exposed. The Raiden gun struck the enemy dead centre. The frame fell in a shower of sparks and fire. The eject system activated just before the thing exploded. The building was falling faster.

"Uh War we're about to be crushed."

Then Jeremiah called the team back to avoid the wreckage.

"Mark" The tank cut the countergrav and swerved right. As it passed over the gap between two buildings it plummeted down into the street. Just as the huge wreckage of the former Nakatomi tower crashed onto the buildings above. "Engage boosters." The tanks descent was slowed but the impact made metal creak and both Tamaki and War groaned at the sheer ache the crash inflicted on their bones. "Gun the engine and head south to the breakout point." A holographic map of the area appeared. "In all this dust I'll be surprised if they can see their own knightmares."

B-6 and B-7 we've got the civilians prepared for evacuation head to escape point three."

"This is B-7 I've got a prime target here I'll take him out first." As the fighter lifted his shoulder mounted cannon Lelouch yelled into his radio

"No that's a decoy. Follow my orders."

"No I have him right in my sights."

"K-1 save him."

As a Brittanian Gloucester fell from above it was suddenly flung off course smashing into the side of the building next to the Yamato soldier. Who looked in shock towards the knightmare that had nearly ended him. "What?" he didn't have much time because the knightmare that had been acting as decoy swiveled around and fired its slash harkens at his head.

In his cockpit Luthur sighed. "Idiot."

A general recall order echoed across the airwves. "Mission complete all forces take formation 4"

In his cockpit hidden amongst the enemy Lelouch grimaced. "Beaten so easily even with our help. I begin to understand your dislike of them Luthur. Oh well, at least we can accomplish two of our objectives."

"This didn't go the way you planned did it Zero. Are you masquerading as one of us? We'll find out who you are soon enough." Then Cornelia's voice blared over the intercom. "All forces step out of your knightmares and reveal your faces." On her command throne Cornelia smirked.

"Repeat all of you step out of your knightmares and reveal your faces." In his cockpit Lelouch sighed with chagrin "Well played Cornelia. Well played." He activated his transmitter. "H-1 is the evacuation prepared?"

"As well as it can be. There's only a dozen of the Yamato alliance left."

"C-2 can you hear me?"

"Yes."

"Initiate distraction. K-1 once she has done so launch strike order two, then fall back and deploy the blizzard. H-1 launch a breakout through the south west sector the moment the blizzard activates."

"It's your turn." Lelouch looked up to see that the enemy had already reached him. "What's wrong? Hurry up and open your hatch."

"Any time now C-2" Then he opened the communication link to the knightmare facing him. "My hatch appears to be damaged."

"I see then we will open it for you. Turn around and kneel."

Lelouch gritted his teeth. "Yes understood. At once sir"

"Zero's been sighted!"

Guildford and dozens of other soldiers turned their gaze to where zero now garbed in nothing but normal clothing along with his cape and mask stood. He was perched atop a thin line of concrete that was all that remained of a ruined building.

Cornelia smiled. "I knew it. I knew he had that type of personality."

Guildford screamed out orders.

"Capture him Platoons three and Five mount up."

"Image detected target confirmed all forces move out."

_I'll just have to play along._ Lelouch accelerated his knightmare around the building hoping to slip out of sight in the confusion. But a small amount of psychological warfare might be in order.

The Brittanians opened fire but before they hit him Zero spread out his arms and leapt backwards off the building.

"Did we hit him?"

"Hmm Darlton what is the possibility that this is a trap?"

"It is very possible. We don't know much about this character other than the fact he is as prideful as you suspected Viceroy."

"Then there is no point going after him then."

"No if he intentionally revealed himself to us he will most certainly have an escape route planned."

"So self preservation trumps all? Hmm. No matter we've conclusively destroyed the Yamato alliance. Since Zero is gone there is probably little point in continuing the purge. Do a final sweep to ensure that we've got them all. But don't bother with any civilian survivors."

Suddenly a voice came out over the radio "Princess Cornelia. I presume?."

Cornelia smirked. "Zero." _He's even more egotistical than I imagined._

"Indeed from your actions I assume you were hoping to catch me in one of your knightmares. Clever if ineffective."

"And I assume that you are speaking from a safe location given your failure to defeat me or rescue the Yamato alliance."

"Touché madam and indeed both of those would have been a victory. However they were not my only objectives." Cornelia narrowed her eyes. "I have taken the measure of your skills today Princess Cornelia. When next we fight it will be for far higher stakes."

The signal cut off and suddenly a sensor tech cried out. "Massive thermal bloom near point oh no. Everyone looked up to see the battered remains of a skyscraper one block down from the G-1 tilting. It looked almost like the structure had been sliced across the middle as it crashed in a massive cloud of dust and shrapnel. The seismic impact of the collapsing building was enormous and the whole base shook. Massive clouds of fire erupted from buildings all across the Saitama ghetto transforming it into a scene from hell.

In his darkened cockpit Luthur pressed a trigger and the words 'Launching Blizzard jamming missiles' appeared on his HUD. Four white contrails sped upwards from a ruined building before landing at different points throughout the ghetto. Then they activated.

The IFF net and almost every other instrument on the G-1s screens erupted in a storm of static.

With all communication thrown into utter confusion the guards at the south west part of the quadrant couldn't even talk to each other over their radios. It didn't help that six of the units in that section who the IFF had told them were alive were in fact already dead. So there was not as much alarm as several of the surviving yamatos led by the Ruin tank tore out of a side street and blasted them into pieces. An infantry force of at least thirty soldiers charged forwards supported by the knightmares. Some wearing the black combat gear and white masks of the death troopers, others in the pseudo samurai gear of Ohgi's resistance fighters. Heavy weapons blasted apart the barricade and then the forces split in two to strike Brittanian forces to the east and north of the breakout point. Coming behind them were the survivors of Saitama some in trucks others running with more death troopers leading them. They followed their protectors. As they passed the blockade perimeter they began to break up. Some hiding in the nearby ghetto's while others followed the black clad soldiers down into tunnels and subway passages. Then along sewers and passages that existed on no map. Likewise Zero's soldiers dispersed. War moved his tank into a cargo container that covered a hidden entrance to the defunct subway. Others boarded waiting trucks or cars. Vanishing in the chaos their leader had wrought.

As Cornelia tried to restore order to the chaos, and as Jeremiah led his team out of the flaming ruin of the ghetto the people of Saitama quietly disappeared.

In one of the underground staging areas Ohgi and several of his troopers removed their samurai helmets. Sohni the blue haired woman laughed slightly. "I don't think we even got shot at in all that mess."

Ohgi nodded "Yeah the Yamato alliance took the hits while we evaced the civilians. What do you suppose happens to them now? They can't go home."

"Zero says that Shinigami has a safe place to move them too. I guess they're looking at recruiting the able bodied for the war."

"Yeah about that. Ravenscroft, the suits and all these Death troopers. Who are they anyway?"

"They're soldiers in that mercenary outfit Shinigami runs. Didn't you hear about them before?"

"Yeah but with all the stuff he has. Do you get the feeling that maybe Zero didn't need our help as much as he implied?"

"It's a bit late to be worried about that now don't you think. Besides there is a difference between us who fight for a cause and the mercs who are probably only in it for the money."

"Yeah they get paid and we don't."

Suddenly they were interrupted by the echoing rumble of a tank moving down the tunnel. It stopped. There was scoring and marks along its side. One of the sponson guns was smashed. And the front corner of the dozer blade had snapped off. A Hatch opened and steam billowed forth. Tamaki drenched in sweat and stripped down to his shorts and a singlet clambered out. He raised his arms and yelled. "I have found my calling." He hopped out and then wiped his brow. "Anyone got a cold drink?"

Beneath the surface in an empty sewer tunnel Lelouch approached the masked figure of Zero. Standing beside Zero could be seen the metal figure of the void armor. Empty like the headless horseman.

"So glad you could rescue me."

Zero removed the helmet revealing the soft green hair of C.C. "I told you we are in this together. I am not going to let you die until you complete our contract."

Lelouch's face twisted as he struggled with what was both his strength and his weakness his sense of pride. He moved towards the armor and began stripping out of his disguise.

"This battle was NOT conclusive. I would have found another way to capture her if I had time."

"Don't be a sore loser. If you are really so good you should be able to set things up however you want."

Lelouch smiled as he took the helmet from her and then donned it. "That is exactly what I have been doing. To defeat Brittania I must build a nation that can destroy Brittania."

After completing his disguise they stepped into a large chamber and before them could be seen almost two hundred ragged survivors. He turned to the masked soldier next to him. "How many did we get out?"

"Eight hundred down here. Another three hundred we got out on the surface when the EW jammed their communications. All in all barely half of the civilian population."

"I see" He turned towards them. "People of Saitama, I am Zero."

Authors Note

Derian: How do you make everyone's favorite superconducting exploding pink substance even more terrible? Stick it in a plutonium reactor. Atomic batteries to fucking power baby.

Luthur: RED MERCURY? The horror. The horror.

Derain: Indeed Luthur is the Batman of mech war. Sure he can defeat his foes in a visually spectacular, gun blazing, dramatic music backed and limb severing bloodfest of a battle. But he can also take you all out before anyone even knows they are under attack. And if they do notice it will only be long enough for three seconds of terrified dialogue before he yanks them into the ceiling.

Lelouch: But we still didn't actually see anything.

Derain: That's kind of the point. The reaper is designed around asymmetrical warfare. You won't get a technical file until maybe after Narita but basically its main purpose is to sneak around the enemy army before blasting them where they are vulnerable. Remember a nuclear reactor means he has near limitless energy reserves. He can operate behind enemy lines without resupply for weeks just like a submarine. And he can keep fighting long after any Brittanians energy filler would have run down. It also brings up a point about the Reaper it does indeed have incredible weapons, incredible speed and powerful defences but it can only really use them by dropping out of stealth.

WAR: Unlike me who provides such an eye catching distraction with my flying tank of ludicrous firepower.

Luthur: Yeah but don't expect to see more than one of it. My Reaper may eventually enter limited production but your tank is really a heavily tuned up prototype that was used to test different technologies.

Lelouch: Like anti gravity and that white beam of death?

Derain: Well the anti grav is sci-fi but that white energy beam it actually is real. Or at least the prototype version of it. Look up Laser Induced Plasma Channel.

Lelouch: What really?

Derain: The Black knights main battle tanks will be designed rather differently and won't be able to use booster rockets and anti grav to fly around. That tech is actually used in the REDACTED. Sigh.

WAR: Who cares I'll still have the most awesome private land vehicle ever. Maybe I'll go pick up pizza in it.

FAMINE: Oh could you get me a supreme then?

Lelouch: Where's that voice coming from?

FAMINE: I've hacked your phone. In case you didn't realize I'm the master of sabotage. And with computer access to almost all of infrastructure and logistics for Area 11 you just wait till I get started. Here's a hint. It would be safer for the Brittanian soldiers to eat their own uniforms as rations.

Lelouch: Tamaki was kind of awesome there.

Derain: Look Tamaki always had three things going for him. One - great enthusiasm. Two - A tendency to mouth off. Three - an inexplicable ability to attract enemy fire but not get killed by it. I just put him in a vehicle that does not care if he attracts enemy fire.

WAR: Yes for we laugh at the puny munitions of our foe. EAT MY BOLTER ROUNDS YOU MISERABLE BRITTANIAN WORMS!

Lady Kami: Derain you madman you've just violated one of the central plot tenets of almost all mecha anime.

Luthur: Really which one?

Lady Kami: You had mecha getting mowed down by a tank!

WAR: YOUR PUNY KNIGHTMARES SERVE ONLY TO POLISH THE SHINE OF MY DOZER BLADE WITH YOUR HYDRAULIC FLUID. HAHAHA.

Derain: Okay calm down war. Lady Kami that was not a tank crushing mecha. You want to see tanks curbstomping mecha? You just wait until REDACTED. Damn they got me again. Besides I've read the laws of anime physics in case you had not noticed I used the law of variable gravity in Wars little death machine. At least I explain it by using actual artificial gravity manipulation instead of going. "Oh look the thirty ton robot can just leap from rooftop to rooftop without falling through the ceiling. Well that needs no justification at all."

Lady Kami: (sits down) Well okay but still arrgh. What the heck? This chair just fell apart.

Derain: Yeah one other thing about Famine. She's a serial prankster. She can sabotage anything.

Lelouch: My coffee just burst into flames!

Derain: Absolutely anything.

Luthur: Holy crap all the food in the pantry has been poisoned. And the liquor cabinet is on fire.

Derain: She's also a pyromaniac.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer

I do not own code Geass. Just this which I think is awesome.

Chapter 14

_Diplomacy is the art of letting someone else have your way_

The School Council

Area 11, Tokyo Settlement outskirts, 2017 A.T.B

The people of Japan woke to another day. In tenements and battered homes made from scrap they rose to greet the day. Babies cried as mother fed them what scraps of food they could find. In a shack a wearied old woman huddled as a train rattled the bridge above her head.

Onboard the train not noticing the squalor below them Shirley Nina and Milly sat in a compartment. "I've never been outside the settlement before, this is my first time."

"Bet you wish Lelouch was coming hmm?" Milly grinned at the orange haired girl's embarrassment. "Cheer we'll have all night over there. We can stay up talking about what boys we like from school."

Shirley glowered at her. "In that case you'll have a lot to talk about madam president."

The train went into a tunnel and Nina gripped her dress in fear. "Nina its all right, there are lots of Brittanian tourists at Lake Kawaguchi so security is fine. It's not the ghetto. We'll be with you the whole time you won't leave our sight for a minute.

The Battle Maiden

Area 11, Government centre. 2017 ATB

Cornelia sat at a conference table in one of the upper meeting rooms of the government citadel. The sunlight streamed in through the bulletproof glass behind them. Unnoticed by all a crow sat perched on the ledge. Her face was a mask of calm.

"Casualties?"

Darlton stepped up "Amongst the standard forces. 15 confirmed knightmare frames destroyed seven MIA. 87 infantry confirmed KIA. 38 injured. Losses of Tanks and APC's rise to 22.

Two of the royal guard's Gloucesters were destroyed. One pilot dead the other severely injured. One Harrier destroyed the pilot is currently in hospital in a critical condition suffering from extreme electrical burns, internal bleeding and broken bones."

"Tactical analysis."

"The operation was launched simultaneously from around the ghetto. Initial resistance was light until the Yamato alliance began engaging us using a combination of standard weapons and Sutherlands we have confirmed were stolen from our own troops. Upon sustaining casualties in the initial attack we withdrew as per your orders in order to deploy the royal guard."

At that point Guildford began speaking. "Despite engagements with the enemy's tank and their usage of unfamiliar weaponry we were able to conclusively destroy the Yamato alliance. The harrier team performed excellently eliminating the majority of the enemies remaining knightmare support. However after accomplishing this Zero revealed himself to us. He then deployed high powered explosives and ECM to cover a breakout from the ghetto at the south west. This was done using frames and infantry that had been concealing themselves before that point along with some survivors from the Yamato alliance. They evacuated hundreds of Elevens. We believe we can track some of the civilians down but at present we're not even sure it would be worth the effort."

"Lloyd your technical analysis."

Lloyd tapped several buttons and a camera feed from a Gloucester team showed the massive bulky tank charging across the square It's side guns opening fire as the team tried to dodge. "Arara. This tank appears to have built as a response to the anti tank tactics employed by knightmares. It uses smaller faster tracking side turrets to attack the knightmares instead of a single main gun. Negating the advantage of a knightmares unusual movement in dodging tank fire. It also." The image shifted to one showing the vehicle launching through the air on a trail of fire.

"Uses an extremely powerful form of booster rocket in order to leap from building to building. At present there is no equivalent among the propulsive fuels used by the Holy Brittanian Empire that would allow a vehicle of this size and weight to achieve flight however briefly. It uses kinetic projectile weapons in its side guns and a short ranged forward facing cannon. But it is the top mounted weapon that is the most concern as it appears to be an Anti vehicle energy weapon." At this several of the officers shifted uncomfortably.

"We were only able to get progress by running the feed from the Harriers camera though frame by frame." An image appeared of the weapon swiveling towards the member of Jeremiahs team. The image slowed down until a solid beam of red light shot from the weapon to hit the centre torso. "It is a two stage weapon the first is this high intensity laser. The laser itself does not inflict significant damage. We believe it may act as a targeting device for this." The image moved to the next frame showing a beam of burning white energy. The imagery was distorted and covered in bites of static and interference. "Heat bloom can only tell us so much but based on the electromagnetic interference around the beam we believe it is in fact a massive electrical discharge that travels along the path of the laser beam. A targeting lightning bolt."

"Targeted lightning?" Darlton sounded rather skeptical.

"Electricity follows the path of least resistance. Numerous physics experiments have shown that high intensity lasers can affect the nature of the gasses they pass through. We theorise that the area along the beam was made less resistant then the surrounding air. We can't measure the strength of the discharge but it was strong enough to melt through the metal at point of impact." He focused in on a side view from a different harrier that showed the part of the vehicles torso that flared white hot as the bolt hit it. "The real damage is from the electricity itself as you can see it instantly overloaded and destroyed every single electrical, servo and combustible substance on the frame."

The tape moved forward another quarter second showing the head cameras of the harrier exploding, flame and sparks shooting out of every joint and the boosters of the eject system kicking off. "It also ignited the eject system rockets." However as the film progressed the rocket only got a meter away from the frame before the entire thing exploded. "It supercharged the sakuradite in the Yggdrasil drive causing the frame to explode. However with the ghetto in the state it's in we have not been able to recover any wreckage from either of the knightmares destroyed by this weapon."

At this point another officer spoke up. "How could Elevens possess this degree of technology?"

Lloyd nodded "Actually we don't believe that they made it. But I'll refer that question to later." He then tapped at another screen showing a recording of four missiles speeding across the ghetto as the buildings exploded. "These missiles carried high powered ECM jammers. The devices were two staged. Upon landing they dispersed massive clouds of electro reactive chaff. The other component was extremely powerful all spectrum jamming signals that operated for ten minutes before the missiles blew themselves up. All communication via radio waves was cut off. In addition the chaff dispersed into the air along with all the smoke and fire from the destruction of the ghetto prevented aerial observation and continued to disrupt any radio transmission into or out of the chaff clouds."

Cornelia nodded and then turned to one of Clovis former adjutants. "Now if you will pull up your report on the one we believe responsible for this weaponry?"

On the screen a image of the bone masked Shinigami appeared along with a bio scrolling next to him. The adjutant began to talk. "This man who we shall refer to as Shinigami as that is his alias in Japan is a known mercenary and gun runner. He leads a mercenary army known as the black company." Another image appeared showing twenty or so soldiers in black combat gear with white scarves over their lower faces. The reaper stood amongst them wearing the same equipment and his distinctive bone mask. They all stood in parade formation while several handcuffed Brittanian soldiers knelt in the ground before them. "We believe that a core of his force is composed of former members of the South African military. They are the elite and most expensive operatives referred to as death troopers.

Shinigami has been involved in a number of operations that have hurt Brittanian interests. "A picture appeared showing a large African man in a general's uniform. "In the independent African nation of Tanzania he was responsible for a coup that toppled the Mudate Regime. President for Life Mudate had been looking into peaceful annexation as a protectorate state. In exchange he would have been declared a duke and given administration of the area. His replacement immediately killed Mudate and signed on with the EU." Another frame appeared showing Mudate being shot by a firing squad. "His forces were also in the service of the Eunuch general Shan Gao in the border dispute in Borneo."

"The Black company has also hired out individual squads and forces to resistance fighters throughout Africa and the Asia pacific region." This time a listing of photos of known terrorists and rebels who had hired out the services of the Black company. "In addition they are believed to have carried out assassinations and sabotage on behalf of established organized crime groups in opposition to Brittanian criminal organizations." Now more photos appeared as well as text from police records showing destroyed buildings and murdered criminals as well as large amounts of burnt or stolen contraband discovered by police. "As well as performing high seas piracy and aerial hijacking. Although the only one we've been able to tie conclusively to the black company was the boarding and looting of the sakuradite tanker Jackson II. The Black company does not care who they work for as long as it is against Brittania."

"They have formed no permanent affiliation to any of the resistance groups before now. From information from captured terrorists they offer assistance for single operations often paid for by whosoever provides the fighters financial support. This is the first time Shinigami and the black company have demonstrated such an extended attachment to any resistance group."

Now in regards to weapons. This is more difficult as he often works through others so we can't always confirm whether he was involved in an arms deal. Shinigami deals in almost everything from small arms to helicopters. The majority of equipment that we've confirmed came from him is standard weaponry manufactured in the EU or the Chinese Federation. On several occasions we've found evidence of him supplying stolen Brittanian military equipment. After the defeat of the Asian dawn resistance group in 2015 we came across evidence that they had been provided with weaponry with no known manufacture. In one case equipment we have not been able to duplicate. The Asian Dawn were equipped with high performance body armor using new Kevlar weave and an outer layer of a carbon metal composite that proved over seventy five percent more resistant to military weapons fire than the combat armor given to Brittanian infantry. They also used an unknown plastic explosive variant when launching sabotage operations. While this is the only hard evidence found there have been up to two dozen reports of the black company and resistance forces that have dealt with them using unfamiliar weapons technology in small quantities."

Cornelia nodded. "Thank you for the report. You may leave now."

Suddenly a messenger burst in the door and handed Cornelia a print off of a military transmission. Immediately her composure vanished into a countenance of sheer stark fury.

The Black Knights and The Horsemen.

Ohgi and the others whistled in appreciation as they came to the place they'd been told to meet Zero. Ahead of them was a massive purple RV two levels high and wide. Inside it was Zero.

"Come in come in."

"This is amazing." It was indeed very luxurious. Zero's seat was made of leather an entire section was given over to a large television and a wet bar. Upstairs there were beds and even more luxuries.

"How did you get this?"

"From a rather libertine nobleman with some large gambling debts. Of course we have made some modifications of our own." Zero clicked his fingers the doors and windows were covered in metal sheets. Suddenly hidden panel opened. Guns slid out of the wall. Combat armor racks appeared in wardrobes. More computer monitors appeared along with what looked like targeting devices.

"Enjoying the extra features?" They turned to see Shinigami descending the stairs followed by another figure in power armor. This variant was rather thinner than his own. With a distinctive feminine shape and covered in dull grey plating. The head showed a grey facemask of a beautiful woman but whose lips were stitched shut and with eyes of reflective black. False hair the color of black hung down to her shoulders. Across the chest and around the hips were toolbelts and bandoliers holding bottles of liquid, ammunition and a host of gadgetry of unknown purpose "You'll find the equipment you'll be using on the upper floors. Be swift we will be leaving in twenty minutes."

The female figure spoke. "I am Famine and a situation has arisen that will require immediate intervention."

The television on one end of the vehicle switched on. "How are things at the scene?"

A woman on the television stood before the lake Kawaguchi hotel. "I'm at the lake Kawaguchi hotel where a terrorist attack has just taken place. The terrorists have identified themselves as the Japan Liberation Front. This footage was taken by the perpetrators." A new image showed civilians kneeling on the floor surrounded by armed JLF soldiers. Amongst them some young school students one with very distinctive orange hair.

Kallen whispered "Members of the student council."

"The Leader of the terrorists has identified himself as Colonel Kusakabe an officer from the now defunct Japanese army."

In another place Colonel Tohdoh pounded his fist in frustration. "That imbecile"

"Members of the Sakuradite allocation board were present to discuss how Area Eleven's sakuradite supply was to be distributed. Sakuradite is needed in many technologies as a high end superconductor and is central to the balance of world power. As area Eleven holds seventy percent of the worlds supply its deliberations have a great effect on world security."

Ohgi turned towards Zero "You want us to interfere with the JLF? We're just a resistance group."

"No Ohgi we are no mere resistance group we are an army of terrible purpose. What we shall be are knights for justice."

Area 11, Lake Kawaguchi One hour and twenty minutes later

In a small side road on the far side of the lake The Black Knights RV lay parked.

By now all of the knights except for Kallen and Sohni had donned their pseudo samurai body armor. The two female knights appeared to be wearing ankle length red bathrobes and red glasses. This had earned them stares from the male members. Who had promptly found another place to look after a few pointed glares.

"Death are we secure?"

"Yes my lord. We are now ready for the holographic briefing."

They all activated their helmets computers and their visors shifted color. Data streamed over the pair of glasses Kallen and Sohni both wore. Suddenly they were all looking at a three dimensional digital map of the building floating in the centre of the room.

"The JLF has seized the tower with a force of at least fifty soldiers that we can confirm. Most of them are spread out guarding the entrance, the possible water approaches and manning the anti air defences they've set up on the perimeter and on top of the building."

Icons appeared in the locations Zero mentioned. "The hostages are being held on this level." A floor halfway up the building was highlighted.

"Zero what do you suppose will happen to them?"

Zeros mask was expressionless as he turned his head towards her. _Ah Kallen we both are more concerned for the hostages then we let on and neither of us can risk the other knowing._

"Eventually there will be no reason to keep the hostages alive. For either side."

The School Council

In a food storage room Milly held Nina close to her while the green haired girl whimpered in fright. At one end of the room stood a tall Eleven with a sour complexion and a sword.

"I am Kusakabe of the Japan Liberation Front. This stand we are taking is for the freedom of Japan and our countrymen. We have complete control of the building. Though you are not soldiers you are still Brittanians. You are the people who rule and oppress us. Stay down, keep quite and you get to live."

The Black Knights and the Horsemen

"Hang on if Cornelia is prepared to accept civilian casualties why hasn't she already attacked?"

"Actually thanks to a little bird we know the reason she has not moved in directly is because princess Euphemia is in the hotel herself."

"What?"

"Cornelia's sister?"

"Is that why the JLF hit the place?"

"No she's there under an assumed identity. Therefore the JLF don't know what they actually have. That is why we must move in and secure the hostages before they do."

The Battle Maiden

In the G-1 Base another officer relayed the options to Cornelia. "We've attempted infiltration by the air and the water. Both were unsuccessful." Cornelia looked at two images of a VTOL being blown up and of Brittanian marines being shot as they tried to climb out of the water.

"We have developed an exit strategy that might work." On the computer screen an image appeared of the hotels superstructure and the artificial island it rested on. "We will destroy the foundation block. As the building sinks we will move in teams to secure the area."

"Hmm how long?"

"About twenty minutes."

"There is a service tunnel running under the lake to the hotel. It is large enough to be used by knightmares. A three man team will move in and attack the foundation. They've been using substandard weaponry so far so it should not be a problem."

The Black Knights and the Horsemen

Ohgi however had been looking at the holomap. "Are we going to go in by this access tunnel?"

"No. The Brittanians may not have realized it but Kusakabe has likely blocked that route using an extremely powerful electromagnetic cannon. In that closed environment any attacking force would be shredded before they got even a quarter of the way up the tunnel."

"How do you know this?"

At this Shinigami spoke up. "Because I sold it to them. As well as two full crates of anti knightmare canister rounds."

In the tunnel the Brittanian knightmares accelerated forward. One of them activated his factsphere. "Hang on they might have some emplaced guns spread out."

At the other end four knightmares held up the massive barrel of the Raikou. A separate generator lay behind it. In the cockpit a pair of soldiers with rising sun headbands manipulated the weapons targeting and checked the massive amounts of electrical charge powering the weapon.

"Enemy forces moving down the tunnel."

"Calm down. Raikou ready. Both quad linkage lengths locked. Super Electromagnetic voltage confirmed."

Lightning danced around the head of the massive gun as its capacitors charged up.

"Canister round loaded."

Electromagnetic energy surged along its massive barrel.

"Raikou super electromagnetic shrapnel cannon." A section of the gun rotated showing a red symbol "FIRE"

It a blast of lightning the canister shell shot out of the barrel. The shell opened sending a storm of hyper dense ball bearings down the tunnel at supersonic speed. In 0.75 seconds all three knightmares were ripped apart by the cloud of metallic death.

In a shadowed room Kusakabe and his men cheered. "Yes the Raikou was a complete success."

Kusakabe smirked. "How do you like that Brittanian pigs?"

In the G-1 Base Darlton exclaimed in anger. "What they were completely wiped out?"

"It looks like they have modified a Glasgow into a linear cannon."

"Then there is no way we can penetrate their defence."

"What do we do? If we release the political prisoners as they demand."

"We can't show weakness to terrorists."

Guildford leaned in closer. "But Princess Euphemia."

Cornelia grimaced. "I know."

"Right now the terrorists don't know she is in there. She went in under a false identity saying she only wanted to observe."

The Knight

At the Lake edge Suzaku stood alongside Cecile and Lloyd watching over the water.

"Isn't there anything we can do to help?"

"Not unless they request it. We're an irregular unit and so we don't fit into their chain if command. Besides.

Suzaku's voice finally showed a hint of tension. "The operation is too important to entrust to an eleven is that it?"

"As I'm sure you're aware Princess Cornelia is very discriminating about Brittanians and numbers.

"So the Japanese have still not been accepted enough into your structure?"

"If that was the case then what would be the point in having an honorary Brittanian system in the first place?"

The Black Knights and the Horsemen

In the RV the resistance fighter all looked at the imagery that they had hacked from the enemy IFF. Ohgi sounded rather regretful. "Wow we're being stopped by our own weapon that is rather ironic."

Shinigami turned to regard Ohgi. "First rule of the arms trade. Never sell a weapon you are not prepared to see used against yourself. We already have a plan to deal with the cannon. Although by leaving it in place for now it stops the Brittanians interfering."

Zero then nodded.

War will lead the assault team our transport will be a Brittanian news van. Once in the compound wait two minutes then attack. Lethal force is authorized although if you take a few of them as prisoners it will be helpful."

"Kallen and Sohni will form a team of four with Death and Famine. You will perform an aquatic infiltration of the lower levels. Kallen and Sohni will be wearing those suits of power armor in the back." They all turned to where a pair of large armored metal suits painted a dull black stood. The shape of the hips and the chest area gave them a very distinctively feminine appearance. The metal was only broken by the ropy bands of artificial muscle. A lone death trooper was running checks on the armor systems using a small laptop. They had also been modified with reinforced chest plates. The helmets were angular masks formed of multiple strips of metal. With six narrow blue slits acting as eyes. The backs of both of them seemed to have short stubby metal wings with miniature jet engines on the back along with a pair of huge tanks.

"Those detachable back units are designed to provide buoyancy and let you maneuver underwater. Otherwise you'd just have to walk across the lake bottom. Your suits are proof against any anti personnel weapon the JLF has. Once you have received the signal enter the building at this point." The holomap zoomed in on a pair of ladders leading from the water into the underside of the hotel platform. "Don't bother using the ladder your wrist mounted slash harkens will be enough to pull you up into the entrance. Clear each level and follow Famine's instructions as to explosive placement precisely. No one understands demolition better than her."

Tamaki groused. "How come they get the fancy suits?"

Sohni looked at him. "Because we are the only two so far who have been trained in it. Plus the catheter system on them is designed a bit differently than in the power armor you would wear." The men looked a bit queasy at that one. "Want us to elaborate?"

"No, No we're good." The heads shook so hard it was amazing the helmets did not fly off.

"So how are the rest of us getting in?"

At this Zero tapped on the bridge connecting the hotel to the shore. "We're going to walk in the front door."

"Well that is a bold plan dear Zero."

They all turned in surprise to see a woman in a close fitting grey combat gear with a compact bow and two quivers of arrows slung across her back. Her hair was a shining black bound up in a ponytail. Her face was covered by a very familiar white mask with blue eyes. A thin crown of bronzed metal encircled her head. She was looking down on them from the upper level.

The Lady

War and the others had all moved out of the RV to get into the news van that had been 'borrowed' for the mission. Death and Famine had already moved close to the lake shore. With only minutes until mission launch the only occupants of the RV were Sohni and Kallen doing the final check on their armors and at the other end of the vehicle Zero who was having a tense conversation with Lady Kami.

"How did you find us? None of the others made any calls once they entered the RV we were monitoring."

Lady Kami reached up her hand and gently stroked Zeros helmet. "Come now I can't make it too easy for you. Although I knew that this was the kind of situation that would draw you in."

Then she whispered faintly near his ear. "But it is good to know you are possessed of a mans appreciation of female beauty."

Lelouch felt his urbane calm blasted away. "Wh-What?"

She whispered "Oh come on I've seen what you have those two wearing under the robes." As if to illustrate the point Kallen and Sohni removed the red robes to reveal the fact that they were wearing formfitting and skin tight body suits that looked to have been painted on. The black of the glistening material was broken only by faint red circuit patterns along the back and the legs. Then they tapped in a sequence on the side of the armors helmets. The chest plates moved forward as the helmets detached. Both women climbed into the armor which then closed around them. Then they picked up the helmets and closed them over themselves. "They look like they are naked with paint sprayed on." The two warriors gave no notice as the armors made slight whirring noises as they moved through a series of exercises to test their mobility.

"Those are nerve suits they have to be in contact with the skin in order to help them move the armor." His voice was calm but inside the helmet Lelouch's right eyebrow was twitching in consternation.

"Of course it all makes sense now." But her voice carried that slightly teasing edge.

"Why are you here?" Kallen and Sohni walked out by the pair of them. Their armor making no sound as they walked out the door and towards the lakes edge. When they were gone Kami walked over to one of the windows to look out at the lake.

"Kusakabe is operating without the remit of the JLF. This operation was not sanctioned by them. Nor by the six houses of Kyoto. I intend to make it clear to the JLF just what our opinion of that is. Also." She paused for a moment and turned back towards him. "So that you understand that my trust of you extends to a belief in your ability to succeed here. I'll be putting my life in your hands after all. You may not have told the knights but I believe that rescuing those hostages is also your exit strategy. You plan to make yourself look good at the JLF's expense yes?"

Zero's reply was grudging. Beneath the helmet he could feel his face heating up. "There is some truth in that. But I'm still not convinced of why I should allow you to go in with us."

"I forgot one other reason you might be doing this. To seal their loyalty. You won't show your face to them. That works against you believe me I know. Although you were right that knowing your face is no insurance against you betraying them. Still you're out there tonight leading them yourself not through a radio. Then when you broadcast whatever it is you're going to do to the whole world they'll all be standing there with you. You'll have proved you can do it more than once. They will really believe in you. But you haven't done it yet. If I get in that van with them and say that I'm going with you and we act like its all part of your plan then it's good. If you try to stop me they will see dissent amongst their leaders. Can you afford that at this point?"

His silence was thundering. Kami couldn't outstare a reflective face mask but she gave it a very good try.

"Just lie back and enjoy it Zero I won't bite. Try keeping me out and that may change." She casually walked out of the door towards the van her bow swinging slightly as her hips swayed. Zero waited and then Luthur's voice came in on the private com.

"We're entering the lake now is she going in with you?"

"That woman is as infuriating as she is perceptive."

"So a yes then? I had also reached that conclusion. You must be upset I'm monitoring your vitals. There is an increase in respiration and blood flow to the face."

"Yes that is it precisely."

"Of course it is. Wait. Oh no. Remember how we were going to make the JLF look bad so we look good?"

"What of it?"

"The JLF are about to do the job for us."

The Knight

In the darkening twilight Cecile monitored the Lancelot's status as Suzaku stood on the cockpit block.

"Those teenage hostages are friends of yours aren't they? They are still negotiating so we should not give up hope."

"I have faith in the system." Cecile looked up as Suzaku adjusted some of his controls. "I prefer the order of systems over individual emotions."

Suddenly a voice broke over the open Brittanian com. "Report from watch team seven situation changing."

Up on the rooftop two JLF Soldiers were pushing a civilian towards the edgeof the hotel roof.

"What are they doing? They're not going to?" The man tumbled downwards. "NOOOO"

In The G-1 Base Kusakabe spoke to Cornelia over the vidphone.

"It seems our demands have not been met. We will throw one hostage off the roof every half hour. For their sakes the negotiations had better be in good faith."

The Battle Maiden.

Cornelia was fuming as her soldiers walked down the corridors of the G-1 Base. Darlton's voice barely registered over the storm of contained fury and worry that raged in her mind. Something however got through. "So this is their response, Barbarians."

Guildford spoke up. "At the moment we can negotiate to get the women and children out."

"NO. If you give in to their demands even once you're simply legitimizing terrorism."

"So we use force?"

"We pursue that option after we secure the safety of Princess Euphemia."

Suddenly the same luckless soldier from before burst around a corner. "Viceroy it's Zero. We've just received a message from Zero."

Diethard Reid yanked his fishing rod from the water. "What do you mean Van 3 was stolen. What was Gibson doing all the while?"

"He said that by the time he realized what was happening it was too late."

"Then where is van three now?"

"Driving straight towards the Brittanian cordon."

Torchlights flared onto the van approaching standing atop was Zero and standing next to him on the rooftop was another masked figure. Clad in close fitting leather gear. And with a bow and arrow slung over her back. Her hair swaying slightly in the breeze.

"Stay steady we'll capture him when he is surrounded."

Inside the van Ohgi and the others crouched. War sat at one end regarding them with his glowing blue eyes. His side gun was holstered while the other hand stroked the gigantic steel riot shield he had propped against the side.

A trio of Gloucesters pulled in front of the van at the entrance to the bridge.

_Cornelia as much as I would like to finish what we began in Saitama right now I need you alive if I am to complete this operation. If I do this right I won't need to use my Geass on you at all._

Cornelia stood up from her opened cockpit. "So we meet again Zero. Are you a member of the Japan Liberation Front? Or perhaps you're here to help us? Regardless our concerns take precedence over yours. And so for the death of my half brother Clovis." She drew out a cavalry pistol as long as her arm. "I will take my revenge here and now."

_Good grief she still has that anachronistic thing?_ Lelouch thought. _Actually I should keep that opinion to myself considering what my fellow conspirator carries around._

"Cornelia who would you choose? Clovis who is dead or Euphemia who is alive?

Cornelia blinked. _As I expected. You have not changed Cornelia you have always doted on sweet little Euphemia. That's why you won't take aggressive action your emotions are getting in the way._

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I am in a position to save her."

In the Building Kusakabe stood up in surprise. "Zero you say?"

"That's right it's been confirmed by the Brittanian Army."

At the bridge the soldiers pulled back. "Let Zero pass. I repeat let Zero pass."

Cornelia face was set in stone as Zero passed by. He allowed himself a brief jab. "That was the one free shot you had at me Cornelia don't expect another."

As they moved along Lady Kami softly spoke. "So sure they'll just let us in?"

"Either the JLF will accept me as an ally or they will treat me as a nuisance. Either way I doubt they will be able to resist meeting the infamous Zero. Which will allow you to express your displeasure towards them in person."

"Viceroy what are we doing?"

"I believe that by allowing Zero in as a distraction we will be able to buy time before the next hostage is executed. So this is it we can catch them all in one blow."

Neither the Brittanians or the JLF noticed a solitary crow was perched on the gate post. As Zero passed it cawed and sent a small radio signal into the waters below. A signal that was accepted and then relayed beneath the lake surface where four suited figures moved slowly through the water like submarines in the ocean.

In the ASEEC trailer Lloyd leapt up and danced. "Wonderful I want to thank you for that lovely order. We've got the green light Lancelot. You're ordered to charge right into that Linear cannon"

Cecile looked appalled "What you mean they are using him as bait to make an opening for them?"

"Yes seems like they will use the confusion to send in the royal guard."

"Miss Cecile I will do it. If Lancelot is needed and we can give the hostages an opportunity to be saved then I will do it. Even if it means being a decoy."

Near one of the maintenance ladders a soldier noticed some odd ripples on the surface of the water. He tapped his radio. "Command I think the Brittanians are trying to infiltrate again. Call back in twenty seconds."

There was a crackle on the radio then the voice of his senior officer came back. "Confirmed."

He looked closely his fellow soldiers held their weapons pointed at the ladder below them and the black water beneath it. Suddenly a series of black cables shot up out of the water and impacted onto the ceiling above them. "What the hell?" they fired down into the water seeing the bullets sparking of metal as giant black things shot straight up towards them pulled by cables bound to their right hands. In the others they held Crossbows? They didn't have much time to be amazed as in the space of a second they were all shot in the chests and flung backwards by the metal bolts. The lone soldier reached for his radio. "Command. We have infiltrators."

"Don't worry." The voice of his commander came from the armored mask of Death standing above him. "Everything is fine soldier."

In the Lancelot, Suzaku turned the ignition as the briefing played out on his computer. "Warrant officer Kururugi Here is your mission. The hostages are located in a food storage room on the upper level. You will use the Z-01 Lancelot to move along the utilities tunnel. When you reach the end destroy the foundation block and submerge the building. The area the hostages are on should hold out for eight minutes. That will allow rescue teams time to effect an extraction. You will be using the VARIS. Set the impact rail to anti material level three when destroying the foundation." The Lancelot moved along holding rails as it was lowered down the shaft

"The only glitch in this plan is that pesky linear cannon. Space is tight in there and the Lancelot will only have a forty seven percent evasion rate."

"Are we really going through with this?"

"Make sure you pull out of there before it's too late the Lancelot will be wrecked and that would be unacceptable."

"Twelve minutes to operation start. Countdown beginning."

The Student Council

In the shadowed room the terrified Nina huddled allowing words to escape her mouth. "Elevens."

Unfortunately she was not quite enough. "What how dare you call us that. We are not elevens we're Japanese damnit."

Milly spoke up as she pulled the terrified Nina close. "Yes we're well aware of that just lay off of her."

"Then correct her we are not called elevens."

"Fine we will correct her"

"How dare you speak to me like that. You three come with me to the next room I'm going to show you a real lesson."

Nina panicked as he grabbed her hand. "NO"

"Get up damnit."

She started screaming as it looked like the soldier was about to pistol whip her.

"Get your hands off of her." Everyone turned to look at a pink haired woman wearing glasses.

"Who the hell are you?"

"I demand you take me to see your leader right now."

"What?"

The woman pushed away the hand that was holding her. Then she removed her glasses and her hair ties. "I am sub Viceroy Euphemia Lee Brittania the third Princess of the Brittanian Empire." She looked with concern at Nina "Are you alright? You are not hurt?"

"No."

Nina looked on with stunned awe as the guards led the princess away.

In the parking lot of the hotel a pair of soldiers had remained with the van the driver so far hadn't made a move to get out. One of the guards walked around to the back "So how did you guys get hold of.." The door slammed open and a moving wall of steel slammed into the soldiers face knocking him down. Before he was trampled over by giant steel feet and several pairs of combat boots. War charged at the head of the pseudo samurai. His massive shield blocking the JLF troopers frantic fire even as he frantically called for help. The radio flared with static. Still another pair of soldiers came around a door only to fall as a pair of stun darts fired from the van's driver cabinet made them fall o the ground twitching spasmodically.

Back in the store room one of the guards looked at the captives before them and one of them was paying particular attention to Milly Ashford. "You what's your name?"

"Milly"

"Not too bad looking for a gaijin. I'll just take you into the other room. Unless you want one of your friends to go instead." The cruelty was apparent on the soldiers face. This was the look of a man who'd decided he was going to die and morals didn't matter anymore. "Come on." He hauled Milly to her feet. "No princess to save you now you little hhhuurg." Milly looked in surprise and then gasped in fear as the soldier fell forward with a foot long length of metal sticking out of his back. Emerging from the open doorway came a pair of women. (At least they looked vaguely like women) in metal armor with six glowing blue eyes.

The second one lifted her left arm and a miniature slash harken launched across the room and punched straight into the gun arm of a JLF trooper yanking him across the floor towards her. The First leveled a massive crossbow at the head of the other trooper in the room. "Hands up NOW or you die!"

The JLF trooper complied. The second woman tied up the trooper she had harpooned and walked in front of Milly. There was no expression upon that blank metal mask as it regarded Milly. Nina huddled in to Shirley's arms in fear. The armored figure walked towards the still standing JLF and grabbed his weapon. The iron hand twisted the gun barrel back upon itself. "Even look at any of the women in this room again and I'll do that to your cock you miserable piece of pig shit." The cold menace of the woman's voice distorted through the helmets vox made every man in the room shiver.

Finally Death himself stepped through the door. The hostages all looked even more terrified. Nina closed her eyes rather than look at the bone armored nightmare. "Brittanians I cannot stop you feeling fear but I assure you we are not here to hurt you today. We are here to rescue you. You will escorted downstairs for evacuation. First however." The death mask of the Shinigami gazed upon them all. "Where is Princess Euphemia?"

In the upper room of the hotel Zero and the lady Kami where standing across from the seated Colonel Kusakabe. Zero remained wrapped in his thick cloak. The cloth flowed to the ground. Only his head could be seen. Lady Kami stood by him her bow held to the back and her hand idly resting on a sheathed dagger at her hip.

"I ask one more time will you join me?"

"Take off those masks the pair of you, it's disrespectful."

"Very well So tell me what do you expect to accomplish by this?"

"Recognition I want the whole world to know that Japan is not dead yet."

"You throw away a powerful weapon, all your soldier's lives and the lives of everyone here just for that. Kusakabe I don't know whether to be appalled at your lack of morals or your stupidity."

"You arrogant prig."

"Who are you supposed to be anyway?"

I am Lady Kami" The soldiers gasped. "One of the leaders of the houses of Kyoto. Kusakabe you have besmirched the honor of the JLF and the memory of the Japanese military by these actions. They will publicly disavow you after tonight. So whether or not you die here is of no importance. The only question is who kills you first us or the Brittanians?"

Kusakabe bridled with outrage and possibly fear. "Why I should I believe such a thing? That you are the lady Kami."

Zero sneered. "Even now you deny the truth you are obsolete. There's no saving you."

"What do you mean by that Zero."

In the tunnel the Lancelot assumed a runners stance. "ME boost."

Cecile's voice came over the com. "Lancelot launching."

At the back of the tunnel the Raikou cannon crew readied themselves. They didn't even notice the shadowy figure placing charges on the foundation block behind them. "Reaction confirmed its moving twice as fast as the others."

"So what it will die like the others. Super electromagnetic shrapnel cannon. FIRE."

Famine's voice came in over the communicator as Luthur left a pair of JLF troopers hanging unconscious from the ceiling. The third was dying as he crushed the mans windpipe in his armored gauntlet.

"Death you're not going to believe this but the RAIKOU just shot a full round at the enemy knightmare."

"And?" The mans futile kicking was fading away.

"It dodged it."

A dull growl came over the radio. "The Lancelot. Hack the Raikou's sensor system through the back door access I provided you and start recording. At least I will get to watch Lloyds little toy burn." Luthur flung the dead man to the ground and tapped his com bead.

A knock came from the door "Colonel it's the prisoner claiming to be princess Euphemia."

Kusakabe snarled and drew his sword. "Zero there's no point talking anymore."

A small object rolled from zeros feet and then exploded with the blinding flare of magnesium for an instant the entire room was lit brighter than the midday sun. CLANK, SNAP,THWACK, BANG, SHUNK, THOMP. The JLF guards burst in the door only for the first one to be shot in the shoulder. Zero's arm was tilted back towards him with his pistol pointed at the soldiers head. Zero's head was facing _away_ from where he'd shot looking down at the comatose colonel Kusakabe with a large bruise on his head. In his left hand Zero held the colonels sword the blade snapped like a twig. Another soldier lay gurgling on the floor with a large arrow lodged in his throat. The last had abandoned his weapon and was kneeling with his arms up while Lady Kami held a drawn arrow four centimeters away from his right eyeball. Zero turned towards the Soldiers. "Don't bother yourselves. I'm afraid Kusakabe and I had a disagreement on matters of military priority."

"Drop your weapons now." The JLF soldiers saw the armored figure of War and several soldiers in some kind of black metal samurai armor holding guns at them. In the case of War it looked more like a small cannon.

"You bastards."

Zero finally turned around to regard the pinkette princess. "Princess Euphemia you were willing to sacrifice yourself to save the commoners. You haven't changed."

Lady Kami turned her head at that statement. _Hmm you reveal another part of yourself Zero._

The Knight

The cannon fired again and this time the Lancelot dodged it by serving along the side of the wall.

In a hallway Death smothered a soldier into unconsciousness while Kallen and Sohni tied up another pair who had been rendered comatose using tranquiliser tipped crossbows bolts. Another was pinned to the wall with a metal bolt to the throat. Luthur had recognized him as one of the troopers flinging hostages of the roof. He paused as he watched a small window of the Lancelots progress in the upper right corner of his HUD. _He drove along the wall? Oh come on. _

The Battle Maiden

"What the ASEEC"s knightmare?"

"Yes at its current speed it will break through soon."

"Do we dare hold out hope?"

The Lancelot held it shield out in front of it as the ammunition was vaporised in a rain of sparks. "Yes it can take this level of destructive force."

_Its shield can stop hypersonic shrapnel. Damn it. I should have sold them the solid armor piercing explosive shells as well. _Luthur looked closer at the data streaming as one of the black knights helped haul some unconscious soldiers towards a waiting boat. _Hmm the shield isn't a continous single field it is generating a cycling series of short lived energy pulses that radiate from the emitter at high speed and are then pulled back towards the centre. You can't wear down such a shield with shrapnel or regular ammunition. In which case penetrating it with a single high powered kinetic round or direct energy weapon might work. Perhaps hitting the field with a high enough electric surge to cause feedback into the projectors. _

"That thing broke through salvo number five I can't believe it."

"Don't panic deploy the quad mounted arm guns, batteries too be prepared to die defending this point with our lives."

The side guns fired and this time the arm shook as the shield deflected the heavier rounds instead of simply breaking it up.

"Miss Cecile its time for me to use the VARIS."

"No you could get killed."

"It's the only way I'll risk getting blasted to take the first shot." The Lancelot pulled out its gun and the barrel extended in preparation for firing.

The black knights were busy placing the plastic explosives in access ways under Famines direction. The mistress of desolation observing their actions through their helmet cams. "No place the charge there it's a support pillar"

Luthur barely noticed the radio chatter his attention fixed on the analysis coming from the Raikous' targeting sensor. _Brave but not fast enough. Goodbye little knight._

The Devil and the Princess

"I heard that you became the new sub viceroy Euphemia Lee Brittania."

Lady Kami's voice held a thin edge of scorn. "Yes the carrot to Cornelia's stick. I imagine that once Japan has been sufficiently butchered, burned and pacified by Cornelia you will get to be the merciful overlord over those left alive.

Euphemia held her head high. "It's not an appointment I am happy with."

Zero spoke. "No that is because Clovis was murdered. Yes it was I who killed him. He pathetically begged for his life until the very end. He pleaded with the same voice that ordered the deaths of countless Japanese."

Euphemias eyes revealed a deep pain at this description of her brother. "Is that why you killed him?"

"It was one of the reasons but not my primary motivation."

"Then why?"

"Because he was the son of the Brittanian emperor and I am sworn to obliterate Brittania. To destroy it as a nation, a people and a culture. And then grind its burning corpse into the dust." Euphemia bit her lip in fear at Zero's words. His voice was like a freezing wind of malevolence, filled with cold hate and terrible purpose. "That reminds me you are his child also are you not?" He leveled a pistol at her head. A few tense seconds passed by. "But you are not a soldier and you have never ordered the deaths of others. Besides I promised to save you this time. I do not break my word." He and Lady Kami walked past her to the exit of the room. War picked up Kusakabe and flung him over his shoulder. "Come along princess if you want to live you can't remain here for much longer."

"Maximum output I don't give a damn if it destroys the guns defend this final point with our lives, SMASH IT." The cannon fired. But just a few microseconds afterwards the Lancelot fired the VARIS. A seething orb of condensed blue energy shattered the shell and its payload to dust before continuing onwards straight down the cannons barrel and blasting the Raikou to shrapnel.

As the knights rushed through the building to their escape everyone heard a muffled shout come from one of the boats "Damn it. Damn the Earl of pudding and all his shiny prancing knightmares."

An explosion burst up from the lakes surface and propelled upwards into the air came the Lancelot. With a quick movement it adjusted the Varis and fired a series of brilliant green lances of energy into the hotel foundation block. The building began to slowly sink downwards into the lake. At the lake edge Cornelia exclaimed in surprise. "He did it that Eleven actually did it. Guildford move in the royal guard now." As the Lancelot slowly fell back to the ground Suzaku looked ahead to see a cloaked figure standing motionless in a window. _What Zero?_

Of course Zero was not actually standing there in the building about to blow up. He was on a boat watching through a camera in the standup mannequin they'd left at the window._ So it is the white knightmare from before. No matter. _He pressed a firing trigger.

Enormous detonations ripped through the upper level of the building. The support cables snapped. A second series ran down the entire length of the building illuminating the structure in fire and dust. As the building toppled backwards it broke in half and a third even larger explosion blasted the top half completely apart sending it upwards in a rain of smouldering wreckage.

Suzaku blanched in horror. "My friends." and leapt the knightmare towards the collapsing ruin.

In the news van a technician argued with his boss. "I'm telling you those cameras were all in van three that Zero took."

"Then lets hope we pick up a signal from them."

_What are you doing Zero? Was this not part of your plan to show us something?_

Suzaku stood in the burning rubble looking about him in horror. "All my friends." Suzaku's hand shook as his voice became more frantic "I couldn't rescue them. They're dead. I failed. NOT AGAIN"

In the news van TV screen a transmission appeared of the smoke wreathed lake and the ruined building.

Suddenly out of the smoke came an elegant yacht that had been moored at the marina. Lights came on illuminating dozens of inflatable life rafts on which the hostages sat. Standing on the deck of the boat was Zero.

"Brittanians do not be afraid the hostages are safe. I, Zero return them to you unharmed."

On her Knightmare Cornelia cursed "Of all the audacity if we attack you they become your hostages."

Spotlights turned on. Standing behind Zero were four figures. To his right stood Death in his armor of blood drenched bone. And War clad in gleaming and sculptured metal plate his enormous ornamented sword held point down between his normal hand with his giant metal fist resting on the pommel. To his left stood a grey clad figure in dulled metal power armor her helmet that of a starved and closelipped woman. Next to her stood the lady Kami. Light glancing of her bronzed crown and the black bow she held down before her. To either side of the horsemen stood two giant feminine figures in midnight black metal and inhuman six eyed helmets. And on either side of them were more soldiers clad like samurai from another age holding their weapons in a salute.

"Fear us or rally behind us as you see fit. We are the Black knights."

On the shore line Lloyd smiled "How ironic terrorists referring to themselves as knights."

"The Black nights stand with all those who have no weapons to wield whether they be Japanese or Brittanian. Just as Clovis murdered countless innocent Japanese in the Shinjuku ghetto we could not stand by and allow such pointless slaughter to be done. Thus we decapitated him"

In a news van Diethard Reid angrily spoke into his communicator. "You heard me run the broadcast. Liable? I will be the one held responsible." And on every screen across Japan Zero's face could be seen.

"The Japan Liberation Front took unarmed civilians hostage and then mercilessly executed them. We could not allow such cruelty to take place. Thus they have been punished.

I shall not dispute battle on the field of war or shy away from the casualties that result. Yet I will not tolerate a one sided massacre of the weak by the strong. The only ones who should be killing are those prepared to be killed. Those of you with power, fear us." His right hand flung outwards "Those of you without it rally behind us." His left followed flinging his cloak behind him like a banner. "We the Black Knights, shall stand in judgement on this world." His words were punctuated by another explosion and a tower of pink hued flame shot out of the hotel ruins turning the lake red with its reflection.

As all the world watched Zero and his terrible lieutenants standing by him. Death activated his private com link to Famine. "Famine that last explosion was it a bit too much?"

"There is no such thing as too much when it comes to explosions."

They separated afterwards Lady Kami vanished as soon as the RV had returned to Tokyo. The JLF prisoners had been moved onto a pair of trucks headed elsewhere except for Kusakabe who remained unconscious. The RV went into an empty car park and then subsequently through a hidden garage door into an underground staging area.

Colonel Kusakabe woke strapped to a chair. Sitting across from him was Zero without a cloak garbed now only in his terrifying black metal armor. Kusakabe would have yelled but he was also completely gagged. "Don't bother Kusakabe you will only be allowed to speak when I wish it. In answer to any questions you may have. No you are not dead and this is not hell. Yes we are away from the lake and the hostages have all been saved. Yes we killed some of your men. No they are not here. We sent them to a location specified by the lady Kami. I understand she is returning them to the JLF through the auspices of the six houses of Kyoto. I'm not sure what the JLF leadership will think of their little outing you went on but I know she intends to make it clear them what Kyoto's opinion is.

As for you. Well we might give you back to them." Tense seconds passed. "Or we might decapitate you and return the head on its own. Regardless you will provide valuable information all the same." Kusakabe narrowed his eyes in a scowl. If zero thought he was going to reveal anything about the JLF. "Yes we are going to interrogate you. No we have done this before. Yes I have left you your clothes and have skipped most of the steps involved in preparing a soldier for interrogation. Why? Because I do not need to."

Suddenly a hatch on Zero's helmet retracted and the glow of a crimson eye shone forth. "Kusakabe while you are within this room you will answer truthfully and completely all questions about the Japan Liberation Front."

The red crane flew forth into Kusakabes brain.

Zero reached forward and removed the gag. "Of course sir what do you want to know?"

The Lady

In a dark room Lady Kami sat without her mask. Her gaze fixed on the computer screen before her. In the dim light cast by the monitor all that could be seen was the length of her raven black hair and the glint of two large emerald eyes. On the screen were a dozen photos of her and Zero taken when they had their little dance at the masquerade. Of course some of those cameras had been a bit out of the ordinary. She tapped a wireframe and the photos showed the X ray mapping that the larger ones had made of the pairs skeletal structures. The computer zoomed in on the head. However parts of the skull were obscured by black patches. The lower area of the jaw the forehead and the sides were hidden. The teeth, nostrils and part of the eye sockets could still be seen. "So you had masking material in after all. But you had to make it thin around the mouth and the eyes didn't you."

She tapped in commands on her computer and a screen popped up. Given available mapping data digital reconstruction of 65% of facial features possible run program?

"Oh yes." She tapped in the command and the screen became dominated by a partial wireframe of the skull as the computer began the process of digitally placing gradual layers of flesh onto the head. In the dim light her lips curved into a smile. "Run you clever boy. I will hunt you."

Authors Note

Lloyd: Lancelot proves its worth yet again.

Luthur: You just wait until I pull out the latest generation of the Raikou you little twerp.

Lloyd: AraAra. My Lancelot will dodge it too.

Luthur: Not once I blow its legs off using my REDACTED. Oh come on.

Kallen: Are they always like this?

Derain: Lloyd and Luthur are going to have a continuous rivalry in that they keeping trying to decipher and outdo the tech of the other. Here's a hint Luthur's pet hate is going to be those damned Brittanian energy shields. Lloyd's is going to be how Luthur makes thirty ton war machines move like they hardly weigh anything at all.

Sohni: That was a weird dichotomy. Advanced Power armor suits and crossbows?

Kallen: Hey it worked. Crossbows are a proven technology. They are much quieter than guns. Plus there is less worry of the bolts punching through walls and hitting the civilians. If you can make soldiers extremely strong you can make the weapons they carry heavier and more powerful. A regular human would struggle to wind back the high tensile cable of these bows. Also that armor means that in this case they have more time to line up precision shots without being killed.

Suzaku: Well at least my friends are safe.

Derain: Maybe but you are not.

In a blast of lightning the red bearded red headed red tempered Brannoth appears before Suzaku (Now referred to as the doomed)

Suzaku: Oh no.

BRANNOTH: YOU RESPECT THE SYSTEM OVER INDIVIDUAL EMOTIONS? THEN WHAT WAS OVERTHROWING THE GOVERNMENT BY KILLING YOUR FATHER DUE TO YOUR OWN EMOTION DRIVEN NEED TO STOP THE FIGHTING? EAT MY FIST HYPOCRITE.

**POW. **The doomedSuzaku flies up into the air.

Brannoth lifts his mighty thunderhammer. TASTE THE WRATH OF MJOLNIR

**CRACKABOOM. **The DoomedSuzaku is electrocuted by lightning bolts.

AND FLY AWAY ON THE WINGS OF YOUR OWN BULLSHIT!

Brannoth flings Mjolnir THWACK which hits Suzaku and blasts him right through the wall and off the mountain.

Derain: Damnit Brannoth I only just repainted that wall.

BRANNOTH: THEN BUILD STRONGER WALLS.

Luthur: I begin to suspect that Euphemia is not the only one who may start theorizing on Zero's identity now. Lady Kami is probably got a few ideas of her own. Although an incomplete map of his face won't be enough.

Derain: I 'm still unsure who will discern the others identity first. I'm leaning towards Lady Kami. Lady Kami whose identity is still secret (cough cough) is very good at riling up Zero and making him hot under the helmet. Part of the reason she acts that way is she does have very open sexual mores. But also because she loves pushing Lelouch's buttons.

Lady Kami: Preparatory to ripping them off his shirt. While he is tied down and.

Derain: Enough, enough. Good grief. I'm not sure which is scarier you planning violence or planning the other stuff.


	15. Chapter 15

Don't own Code Geass or any other awesome things I borrow from. Now tremble before the power of my SCIENCE.

Chapter 15 Technical file.

FILE OPENING

CONFIRM STATUS OF OPERATOR. INPUT DETAILS

ALERT ONLY TIER TWO OR HIGHER CAN BE PERMITTED TO ACCESS THIS DATA

CONFIRM STATUS OR THIS CHAMBER WILL SEAL AND TERMINATE INTRUDER. INPUT AUTHORISATION NOW.

TIER TWO STATUS CONFIRMED. GRANTING OF STATUS OCCURRED ONLY WITHIN PAST 24 HOURS.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION NOW AVAILABLE FOR PERUSAL.

RED MERCURY- Irradiated liquid sakuradite/Lithium mix.

Japan was well ahead of Brittania in nuclear physics, engineering and sakuradite research at the time of the invasion. While they had significant stockpiles of raw and processed sakuradite the conclave knew that it would not be enough to maintain the operations needed for the war to retake Japan. With Brittania's extreme oversight and control of sakuradite reserves and shipping they needed a way to get more return for what they had. So a number of principles already discovered during the ATLAS project were applied to improving the superconducting properties of sakuradite.

Red Mercury is made from raw sakuradite that has had its structure and properties altered by exposure to charged subtomic particles and precisely modulated frequencies of focused radiation in a zero gravity environment. It is then processed into a liquid form much like regular sakuradite and combined with special quantities of Lithium. Red Mercury is less readily combustible and a more viscous liquid than normal liquid sakuradite. It is also a much deeper luminescent red referred to by some as the demons blood. When subjected to the electromagnetic forces and focused microwaves of a Nobuseri's twin linked SURTUR reactors it provides an energy return 26 times that of a Brittanian yggdrasil drive. However it is also irretrievably toxic and develops extreme corrosive properties after seventeen minutes of exposure to the nitrogen oxygen mix present in the earth's atmosphere. Only certain materials, glasses and special alloys created by the conclave can safely contain this substance, After being processed into liquid form it does not project significant radiation but an eighth of a teaspoon would be enough to lethally poison twenty men. By its very nature it cannot be used in a knightmares yggdrasil drive which uses a single machined block of refined solid sakuradite inside a chamber filled with aerated liquid sakuradite. After 72 hours of operation it would eat its way through the lighter materials in the drive chamber.

Red Mercury 2 is a deadlier and highly radioactive variant which is used in the PROMETHEUS electroreactive fission reactor.

KENTO- repeater crossbow

Seemingly anachronistic the Kento is a self reloading crossbow that uses high tensile cables and retractor motors. It is heavy but also produces far less sound than standard weapons. In general it is only used by a few individuals who value it for its silence and precision. Although those who do often also use customized arrowheads for different purposes. The metal bolts are quite capable of penetrating Brittanian standard armor. The specialised bolts include explosive heads, gas grenades, electro stun darts, tranquilisers and grapnel bolts.

RAIDEN- Laser Induced Plasma Channel

The Conclave has made numerous advances in the application and development of laser technology. Even extending to the usage of mass produced infantry scale laser weapons. However a viable all purpose anti armor laser cannon has still not passed the prototype stage. While providing the necessary energy is not a problem constructing lensing materials of sufficient size and durability to withstand the heat and energy involved has been problematic. This is due to the tendency of the larger lenses and artificial focusing crystals fracturing under stress before subsequently exploding, causing the weapon to destroy itself.

They have been able to use lasers in a two stage anti vehicle / personnel weapon. The Raiden uses a focused laser beam to create a channel of highly ionized plasma in the air. This plasma channel has a lower resistance to the surrounding air. A microsecond after the laser has fired a massive electrical discharge is generated using a compact Tesla coil to send the artificial lightning bolt along the path of the laser beam. The effect of being used on any vehicle is to electrocute all personnel, ignite all combustible substances and overload and destroy all metal or electrical systems in the vehicle. Best of all a glancing hit is all that is needed for this to take effect. A knightmare could be shot in the hand and still explode as the effects of the massive power surge would travel through the frames structure to the liquid sakuradite thus causing detonation.

CARNIFEX- Heavy Assault Bolter rifle

Brittanian modern rifles use a combination of sakuradite infused magnetic rails and high powered motors to fire their ammunition. Not being able to use as much sakuradite in their weapons as the Brittanians the Black knights use other propulsive methods to compensate.

Where the methods used in its manufacture are sophisticated the operating principles of the Carnifex are both crude and extremely effective. The Carnifex is a large 0.8 meter long rectangular rifle also referred to as the tombstone for its slab like appearance. The electromagnetic accelerator rails along the barrel do not use sakuradite. As such they are both larger and heavier. It is made from ultra dense compacted Steel as well as an internal firing chamber made from Tritium. This is necessary to contain the forces unleashed in its firing. The modern weapons of Brittania which use high function sakuradite infused compact motors to provide the initial propulsion to fling the projectiles. The Carnifex uses chemical propellant ammunition. However the propellant is a plastic explosive called Terman 27 which is detonated using an electrical discharge from the rifles battery as opposed to the use of a firing pin. Of course such is its explosive power that a very small amount of it is used in the bullet as opposed to that in other chemical ignition weapons. The accelerator rails also generate more electromagnetic pull being powered by a Hafnium Sodate Battery containing 3 teaspoons of Red Mercury in the inner chamber of the power pack.

The weapon has three settings. Single shot, Burst and full auto.

Single is clearly one shot per a pull of the trigger.

To conserve power the burst system allows the firing of six heavy rounds in 0.6 seconds. Followed by a 0.25 second delay.

On full auto and with an auto loader backpack connection the weapon can fire 300 rounds in the space of 15 seconds before the electromagnetic rails begin to overheat.

The standard ammunition is high density armor piercers using tungsten and depleted uranium which can be used against lightly armored vehicles. Mass fire from Carnifex rifles can wear down a knightmares lighter armor. Although you'd need at least fifteen men if you wanted to fell it before it could shoot back.

Carnifex bolter rifles are for the sole use of power armored soldiers as they could not be wielded much less fired effectively by non-enhanced troops.

TITAN- Mass produced powered armor.

The Titan is a modular mass produced infantry power armor produced for the soldiers of the black knights. It entered full scale production in 2013 and all improvements since have been the result of modular upgrades rather then any significant change in the armor itself. Visually speaking the armor resembles a 2.2 meter tall suit of smooth curved metal. At the joints and inner leg can be seen the black artificial Myomer muscles that provide the suit its mobility. The standard helmet shows blank reflective metal with six 'eyes' two of which are transparisteel goggles over the real eyes and the other four sensitive cameras.

Nerve suit

The innermost layer of the armor. The nerve suit is a body glove of memory weave nanex cloth. It is worn in direct contact with the skin once donned it tightly molds itself precisely to the wearers body. According to wearers it feels like 'swimming in a bathtub of eels.' The device serves two functions it keeps the wearer cool by absorbing and transferring away heat from the body. The second and more important function is that it maps and picks up the electrical signals of the subjects nervous system. In conjunction with the Neurorecievers of the soldier's helmet this allows the armor to respond naturally to the wearers movements as if it was an extension of their own body.

Some members of the black knights have had sub dermal cybernetic implants that improve transmission installed so that they can move even faster.

Internal reflex padding

All Titan armor sets are larger than the norm the inside of the suit could house an unusually tall and broad human. The armor system is designed to be one size fits all. An engineer can in a matter of hours modify the positioning of the muscle bonds in relation to the armor plating so that the shape is more suited to the female or male anatomy. However this is not the key to its flexibility. Between the outer Myomer artificial musculature and the inner connection glove for the nerve suit lies a kinetic absorbing memory gel/foam padding. Upon entering the suit the material expands and conforms itself to the body shape of the wearer and then assumes a state of greater resistance. This padding serves to both mold the suit perfectly to the wearer and provide additional protection from kinetic impact.

Myomer cable Musculature

Created using nanoweavers and chemical synthesis Myomer is an artificial cable/muscle with a far higher strength and tolerance than normal organic tissue. The material it is made of responds to electrical impulses like normal flesh. The cabling is layered over and beneath the metal exoskeleton of the armor providing its actuation. A soldier wearing such a suit shall be at minimum, four times as strong as the strongest man on earth. They will be able to run without tiring for hours at a time. Leap in excess of two meters. And can move their limbs slightly faster than without. The muscle bundles are then protected by a Kevlar bi weave outer skin in the areas where the external plating does not cover them.

External Tritium plating.

Tritium is a special alloy created by smelting in a zero gravity chamber before undergoing high gravity compression forging. The plates are shaped, polished and then affixed to the musculature in a manner similar to the exoskeleton of a crab. The armor has been destruction tested multiple times. The wearer is all but invulnerable to standard military anti personnel rounds, even the high powered armor piercers fired by a sniper rifle prove barely effective. Heavy support weapons can wear down the armors defences. Additionally the wearer is more vulnerable at the gaps in the plating at the back of the knee, under the arm and at the neck. Although a modular metal collar has been developed to help protect the neck better. The wearer is also proof against gas attacks or most forms of environmental damage. Wearers have been bathed in fire from flame throwers and can endure almost thirty five seconds before they even begin to feel hot.

The outer layer of the metal is also covered with smart paint that can change its colour according to specific electric impulses through the metal.

Life support

The Titan armor provides full NBC protection Nuclear Biological Chemical. It has a built in air filtration system and a thirty minute reserve of compressed air. It also has a fully functional waste disposal system. The wearer can be fed water and nutrient paste (which despite efforts still tastes like chicken) by the feeding tubes that connect to the helmet from the backpack. Or just open an emergency induction port on their helmet so that they can drink from a can. The armor contains an inbuilt medical system containing the full range of the Black Knights pharmaceutical aids. The internal reflex padding can hyper pressurize to act as a tourniquet in the event of bleeding or loss of limbs.

Argus helm

The standard helmet of the black knights. The helm is blank metal only broken by the two vents for respiration on the sides and the six eyes at the front. The middle pair are one way glass goggles over the wearers eyes. The pair above are low light and thermal cameras. The pair below can function as normal cameras. The Argus is also a Neurohelmet picking up signals from the wearers brain in order to control the suit.

Armor Modules

These modules listed are of the type employed in the lake Kawaguchi incident. Code Name operation WHITE TOWER.

NEPHIS aquatic support frame

The Nephis is designed to allow aquatic infiltration by power armored troops. It consists mainly of a pair of large air tanks to provide buoyancy and twin turboprop motors for propulsion. It also has a pair of guiding wings to help direct the pilots movement through the water.

Impact plates.

Consisting of a hexagonal plated surface of neoceramic tiles Impact plates can be attached as additional armor onto the hardpoints of the Titan's external plating. The Plates shatter as they absorb kinetic impact but provide a cheap, lightweight and easily replaceable supplement to the armor.

HARPOON Strike Harken connector gauntlets

Using the Brittanians grappling system on the Black knights Nobuseri mechs, would be impractical for a number of reasons. However the Black knights have modified the system into a human scale version that can be affixed to the fore arms and shoulder pads of Titan power armor. Using bound monofilament wire the black knights can easily scale 30 meter tall buildings. They can also use the strike harkens as a rather gruesome weapon against Brittanian infantry. Operators refer to the practice of hooking and then dragging along Brittanian soldiers with their cables as 'spear fishing.'

PHALANX Self adjusting shield.

Basically a giant riot shield made from folded steel and neoceramic. It connects to the right forearm hardpoint of the armor. An armature system allows it to shift its position. The latest version can also fold its edges in on itself to provide better movement. Because of the strength of the armor's musculature the wearer can easily compensate his aim for the shields weight. Thus the soldier can still fire a two handed weapon with relative ease as the shields armature will automatically shift its position so as not to interfere with their aiming. Some soldiers will in fact lock their shields together while assaulting a fixed enemy position then part them in order to return fire.

Authors Note

Derain: Ahh the sweet sound of SCIENCE being explained. Well I finally got to go into more detail on how those nifty sets of power armor work. If I wanted a better explanation of what the power armor looks like think of the titan armor from Xcom enemy unknown.

The helmet is inspired by the watcher from Darksiders.

War: Yes soon the Brittanian infantry will receive cruel lessons in futility.

Derain: Especially when the black knights decide to 'go fishing'.

Luthur: Hang on there wasn't any tech specs on this laser weaponry of yours.

Derain: No there wasn't was there? You'll just have to wait until we actually use it heheheh. Which might not be as soon as you like. The Conclave is all about secrecy. They have to conceal the full extent of their power until the time is right. Because anything they do Brittanian is going to escalate in kind. There will be some differences in how Cornelia approaches upcoming events as a consequence of what Zero has done so far. And after Narita expect Brittanian military response to go way up.

On another note I have passed one hundred followers. (dons mad scientist labcoat) Mwahahah. Yes come to me my followers and we will form an army to take over the world. The world I say hahahahah.

Luthur: Okay someone has to snap him out of this. He still has other things to talk about.

Derain: No can resist the power of my SCIENCE. All will bow before me. And my army of power armor equipped fans armed with LASERS. AND CROSSBOWS.

Lady Kami: I know what to do. Famine now.

Famine: Okay. (Presses a small button)

Derain: Yes my genius shall be clear to Ah AHHGH help help my labcoat is on fire. Ahgh put me out.

Lady Kami: As you wish. (Sprays him with a high pressure fire hose.)

Derain: Ahgh blurg gagagk. Okay I'm fine. (gets hosed again) I said I'm fine.

Lady Kami: Just making sure. Now get on with it.

Derain: Fine can't even have a good rant in my castle anymore (grumble grumble.)

Anyway we can see how some of the tech of the black knights is influenced by resources. Plus how they use advances in some areas of technology to compensate for their lack in others. They push energy weapon research so they don't have to spend as much resources making ammunition. They just can't spend sakuradite as profligately as Brittania does. The Brittanians use sakuradite in almost every piece of hardware they have guns, aircraft electronics you name it. They even use the stuff in jet fuel.

The Conclave's use of the stuff is limited mainly for energy reactors and also REDACTED and REDACTED. Sigh. So they work around the problem. By making sakuradite even more powerful but at the same time more deadly. By building guns without sakuradite which compensate by using highly volatile plastic explosives with really strong firing chambers and even bigger accelerator rails. If the Brittanians got hold of a bolter rifle they could understand the principles behind it easily. But without power armor technology there is no way they could use it even if they did make a smaller version. (even in power armor that gun has a kick like a mule.)

Generally speaking a lot of black knight tech is heavier and less compact than the Brittanian equivalent. But they can generate and use more power, operate for longer periods of time and take a lot more punishment.

Euphemia: I have a question.

Derain: Princess Euphemia how did you get in here?

Euphemia: Lady Kami gave me a lift. Now how do you manage to do that redaction thing even when you are talking yourself?

Derain: All redaction duties are carried out by REDACTATRON my faithful robot.

Lelouch: Well where is he?

Derain: He is always here you just can't see him because of his shield of confidentiality.

Lelouch: I don't believe you.

Derain: Oh REDACTATRON.

REDACTATRON: Your disbelief is meaningless organics and has no effect on my ability to REDACT your utterences.

Lelouch: I still don't see him.

Derain: Look towards those two large metal support pillars you walk through every time you enter the room.

Lelouch: Yes

Derain: Now look up.

Lady Kami: What on earth?

Euphemia: Oh my. What a giant glowing red visor you have.

Lelouch: How the heck did you get a ten meter tall robot inside this room?

Derain: By using the secret REDACTED. Very good REDACTATRON.

REDACTATRON: No secret data shall escape REDACTION.


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer do not own code Geass if I did there would be more explosions

_"__Hatred as an element of the struggle; a relentless hatred of the enemy, impelling us over and beyond the natural limitations that man is heir to and transforming him into an effective, violent, selective and cold killing machine. Our soldiers must be thus; a people without hatred cannot vanquish a brutal enemy."_

Che Guevara (message to the Tricontinental; 1967)

Chapter 16

The Horsemen

**Area 11, undisclosed location,** 2017 A.T.B

In a dark briefing room Zero sat before a series of seated figures. Most wore the plain garb of the death troopers. Seated there were also Death, Famine, War and the Talon. His ninja maid Sayoko in her owl themed combat gear. To a normal viewer the room would appear unlit with all of its occupants sitting in complete silence. To the computer assisted vision of the occupants it was ablaze with brightly coloured text and floating photographic images. Most of which were of locations and people that the conclave would soon destroy. Zero's voice came over the comlink.

"These acts will serve a number of purposes. They will both win us admiration from the populace and allow us to mock Brittania at the same time. We reveal that we will punish those who prey on the people. Those who the Brittanians can't or won't deal with.

"More importantly we will be emphasising that Brittannia can't stop us from killing these people. People who ironically are criminals under their own laws. We show up both their incompetence and their impotence. I will be leading them personally for the most part so the rest of these assignments are for you."

Luthur tapped at a holographic list in front of him.

"These are the associates and tier 5 assets you've slated for disposal?"

"Indeed. Our agreements with the Yakuza families will leave them unmolested. But the ones here will be the Black knight's targets. The first list refers to Brittanian police officers and officials on payroll. They are no longer useful to us and were never slated for possible inclusion after E Day payments to them were made through fifth tier assets as the cut out men. The second refers to criminal and profiteering groups who are not under our control. The third list is tier 5 assets marked for disposal. The fourth well lets just call that our scum list.

"It's shorter than the others."

"Yes well they're not the kind you can stomach keeping alive for long when you know about it. Although revealing their nature publically will certainly remove any sympathy for them."

At this point War spoke up. "So you'll be leading these vigilante operations in concert with the other attacks?"

"Yes its time to step up operations across Japan. My announcement got people interested so its time to match word with action. I will launch attacks against military patrols here, here and here." His hand pointed towards three seemingly unrelated patrol routes on the northern island. "I need to get the black knights more combat experience out of an urban environment. Especially considering how many recruits should be coming in soon."

"The second set of attacks will be carried by some of the still 'independent' resistance groups with support from Famine. They will be primarily demolition missions. These companies and public works are slated for destruction." Zero pulled up a digital screen showing various images of buildings.

Famine smiled. "Indeed destroying these facilities will cut power to several smaller Brittanian settlements. Although destroying that water pumping building will be fun. All those Brittanians unable to take a bath."

War turned his head at that. "They should be able to repair some of the damage quickly enough."

"No they won't because the White Ronin group will also be blowing up the garage where the maintenance crews for the region keep their vehicles and equipment."

Zero coughed to get them back on track while he redirected their attention to the holoscreen

"This third set of strikes will be against high profile officials and military targets. Run under the leadership of Death and the Talon. Assassinations will be handled by them personally. Group military operations will be led by War." This time a hologram appeared of a Brittanian armoured train. "Team seven is to attack the Brittanian Can sho line. A train carrying troops and supplies shall be in transit here at 1800 hours tomorrow." The screen enlarged to show a map of the train line. "Derail the train. Then use incendiaries. No prisoners. If some survivors see you that is acceptable. For all group operations Masquerade and Eraser protocols will be in effect."

Death looked over the scrolling target list of the other military targets.

"Is that factory building what I think it is?"

"It is part of the regional supply network in Area Eleven. Destroying it won't seriously affect their logistics but they'll have to shift their parts production to the other three. As well as move troops to reinforce and protect those buildings against any further attacks. Which were all built by Sartor construction."

"Ah" War nodded in understanding.

As part of their designs in infiltrating the power structure they owned a number of legitimate businesses. Sartor Construction had once been a small Brittanian company that had been bought out by the conclave six years and five months ago. It operated primarily in area 11. It had experienced its biggest boom when in the wake of the Kyushu bombing campaign it had received government contracts for the reconstruction of important public utilities by underbidding the larger competitors who had themselves been targets of the terrorists. Since then it had done well helping to build bridges, factories, schools as well as many of Prince Clovis public works. Not to mention being involved in building the revolutionary system for protecting the Tokyo settlement from the effects of earthquakes.

Sartor had an excellent reputation for treating its workers well even the numbers. Also for integrity and high quality in construction. There was absolutely nothing substandard in their use of materials or building. In fact some building inspectors remarked that the buildings they made were even more reinforced and redundant than they really needed to be. After almost seven years their weren't many buildings over three stories tall that had not been involved in some way with Sartor. Of course no one knew just how many 'extensions' had been put inside some of those buildings.

"Cornelia has fought against guerrilla fighters before. But always in the earlier or later stages of a campaign of a country she is invading or an area that is only recently established. She's never had to rely to this degree on an Area's infrastructure. The response to these attacks will be increased security around similar targets. Most importantly we want to foster the illusion that the strikes against military targets are not the work of the black knights. She's smart enough to eventually realise that these attacks are being coordinated but we don't want her to realise they're all following one central command."

Zero's blank gaze drifted over all the soldiers in the room then. War had felt then as he had felt before that their leader was assessing them down to the cold centres of their souls. War knew what in lay in his. Hate. The cold pitiless hate that had been born the day his body had been blasted into a barely living ruin. Death had taught him how to focus his hatred to use it without letting it weaken him. It was Zero who helped him direct it. All this pased through War's mind in a second. Then Zero finished talking.

"We must never forget that by the time our enemies realise the full extent of what they are fighting, we must have already defeated them."

In an alley way a band of Japanese street gangers were painting graffiti. The fake mummy bandages wrapped over their faces identified them as the immortals. The graffiti in this case was a large scale image of the Black knight's distorted trident symbol. With the lower point impaling a Brittanian knightmare through the head. They stopped for a minute as the techno music they were listening to ended to the sound of the radio station DJ's unforgettable voice.

"Hello you groovy cats out there this is the Doctor singing from JET SET RADIO FUTURE. I speak out against the voice of oppression. And I sing for those bad ass dudes in Black the Black knights. Now after that whole adventure at Lake Kawaguchi we've all been wondering just what that crazy cat Zero is going to pull off next. Well a little bird told me that soon we may all be getting an announcement from the big Z's left hand man. Don't worry though because I get a feeling that everyone is going to be hearing Shinigami's words whether they want to or not. Hit it."

Across Japan people listening to their radios were shocked as a new voice carried on the government emergency broadcast system echoed around them. Every available radio channel was over ridden as the cold echoing voice of Shinigami came from the speakers. A workman pushing large crates into a truck heard it on the trucks radio. A dozen people packing boxes in a cellar. A large man with a military buzz cut heard it in the shower. An elderly bureaucrat sat at a desk looking out his office window at Sakuradite tankers in a harbor and called for his secretary. A school teacher in his car tuned in as he saw a large truck blocking his path onto a suspension bridge.

"Citizens of Japan. Some of you may have heard of me before for this conversation just think of me as Death. I've been called a terrorist, a monster a murderer. I am all these things. Yet personally I have always thought of myself as a teacher. Over the next few weeks I intend to educate you in three important things. Lesson number one. There is no safety, only degrees of Danger."

The man in the car cried out as massive explosions tore the bridge apart sending its fragments falling into the gorge. In a small town every electrical device went off as the local power substation vanished in a explosion of fire the solar mirrors shattering like dropped crystal glasses. A freight train crashed at high speed as the rails it was running down simply detached from the rest of the track.

"Lesson number two the innocent have nothing to fear. The Guilty know better."

As the lorry driver finished packing in the last of the refrain he turned around to see a band of Black knights with rifles pointed at his head. A Brittanian police officer beating on a vagrant informer in a street stopped for a moment, looked up and then had his brains splattered all over the wall by a sniper shot. The blood painting the face of the bedraggled Japanese man.

"Culminating in lesson number three. No one is untouchable."

The man emerged from his bathroom dressed in the uniform of a police commissioner and went to turn off the radio. Then a black figure with an owl mask dropped behind him and pulled a garrot cord hard against his neck.

Area 11's Ports and shipping minister sat up from his desk and walked towards his door opening it in anger. "Miss Henley where are .." his voice became a little squeak. "You?"

His guards lay in bloody piles on the floor his secretary was unconscious slumped over her desk. He could barely see her past the bone armoured terror standing in the doorway. The terrible scythes holstered at his side dripping blood. A horrible demonic hand was raised up. The glowing eyeball at the centre of the palm level with his own terrified gaze.

Death spoke. "No one."

WAR

**Area 11, Kyushu settlement, 2017 ATB, 11PM**

Through the night a black helicopter moved. If had no running lights and was painted a dark green. If anyone had been able to make out its silhouette they would have seen the shape of a Sohni series transport copter as used by the defunct Japanese army and sold in limited numbers to the Chinese Federation before the Second Pacific war. In the carrier bay of the copter stood a force of eight. Their weapons bore the marks of Daisho manufacturing the primary armament company of mainland China. They were all dressed the same in nearly featureless combat masks and equipment coloured dark green. If you looked you could see the delicate image of a rearing oriental dragon done in black thread on their right shoulders. The symbol of the Black Dragon special assault corps. The elite military unit of the Federation. The giant soldier near the end was standing. One hand clung to the support railing while the other adjusted a radio. He spoke in fluent mandarin. ="Time to landing point?"=

The voice of the pilot came back over the com. ="ETA three minutes."=

The giant yelled to all the soldiers. ="Prepare weapons."= The soldiers loaded their rifles and checked the safeties were off. Meanwhile the masked soldier looked out a small viewing window. Just to their side could be seen the lights of the Brittanian Kyushu settlement. Inside his mind the soldier counted down. _Five, four, three, two and one._ Suddenly the streetlights all went out and the settlement plunged into darkness. _Right on time. _The copter descended lower and out the window could be seen the outline of a second copter shadowing it. He accessed the communication radio. = "Ground team report?" =

="Your landing zone is clear patrols on the east side of the complex have been neutralised. Wire tap on facility security cameras in place we're feeding them a loop."=

The copters came up over a ridge. Below them was a large factory complex. It was surrounded by a chain link fence and a concrete wall. The copters pulled up above the concrete rooftop of one of the larger buildings. Sixteen soldiers dropped down on grappling lines with half a dozen large bags falling with them. Their job complete the two copters headed out again into the night. Several men targeted their weapons around the area while the others lifted the carry bags. The leader hefted a heavy machine gun and gestured forwards. One figure knelt by the lock to the rooftop door. He removed a series of small metal objects and inserted them into the lock. Three seconds past. The door opened and they entered. They emerged onto a metal gantry below them was a large assembly floor a series of partially constructed Glasgow's painted white were present.

The leader looked down. = "Knight police frames."= With hand gestures he directed the soldiers to fan out across the building vanishing into shadows. A small group of five remained with him. They proceeded along the gantry to a large metal room held suspended above the centre of the chamber ladders leading down. He turned his head to a point further down the expansive factory. Where Sutherlands stood almost completed a large open cavity near the lower torso section showing their lack of power sources. ="Where are the Sutherlands yggdrassil drives?"=

Another soldier knelt against a wall tapping at a small computer. = "According to the copied manifest the completed drives were to be installed tomorrow they are currently in a sealed container on the lower level."= He pointed to a locked shipping container at the centre of the floor.

= "Squad two shift them and place detonation charges at structural points. Command team with me we head towards the central security office."=

They reached the floor and then left the building. Like shadows they moved across the open ground of the complex. Each one moving into to cover and readying his weapons while the others moved ahead of them. Then repeating as they headed towards the security rooms. Across the complex silenced weapons and combat knives ended the lives of Brittanian security forces and even soldier assigned to protect this building.

In the security room the trio of soldiers manning the cameras finally noticed something amiss when one of the guards got off an all clear message when he wasn't registered on the cameras. It was too late. "Hey I think someone is looping the camera feed in sector two."

"Raise the alarm"

That he was all he got out before silenced rounds splattered blood over monitors.

One of the soldiers reached into his pocket and casually dropped a signature cigarette lighter onto one of the corpses.

Then they left the building.

Ten minutes later the helicopters returned to the rooftops and the soldiers boarded them. When the factory complex was almost out of sight the leader looked at his watch. Then the building erupted into towers of scarlet flame. A few seconds later they simply ceased to be as the second stage of the bombs backed by the sakuradite cores simply blasted them apart in an explosion so massive the shockwave caused the copters to sway in the air turbulence. The leader turned to his soldiers "The Masquerade protocol is no longer in effect." Then he removed his helmet revealing the tied up white hair and scarred face of War.

One of the soldiers holding a larger duffel bag opened it to look at the sakuradite thermite bomb in his carry bag. "Eraser is still in effect?"

War looked at him sharply. "Eraser protocol does not end until we are safely back at base."

Another soldier spoke up. "When have we ever actually used the Eraser protocol?"

War spoke up. "Thirteen operations over the last seven years. The Kyushu bombing campaign of 2012 was the first time." At that War's scarred face turned towards the soldier who felt himself turning cold in the pitiless blue gaze of the horseman.

Suddenly they all stopped as heavy metal music blazed over the comlink. The pilot was evidently a Judas priest fan. War maintained his grim face for a second before giving a rueful grin. "Pilot I don't think I requested music."

"Masquerade protocol is over War sir. The driver gets to pick."

War snorted in amusement and then sat down. The copter moved through the night with the sounds of Leather Rebel playing on the internal radio.

The Reaper and the Clockwork Surgeon

**Area 11, The hidden city, 2017 A.T.B, 11 PM**

It was an odd room. Like a strange hybrid of a taxidermists studio and a machine shop. All around were large glass cases containing specimens suspended in liquid. In one a seemingly dead crow with wires running out its eyes. In the next a single arm made out of black synthetic muscle. A third held the disembodied brain of a cat while tiny mechanical arms affixed wires into it. Several more tanks held different mechanical and biological samples some being assembled others being affixed to motionless bodies. At the centre of the room was a larger tank in which a human being was suspended. Numerous devices and medical monitor screens surrounded the container.

Luthur sat on one side of a desk in the medical bay. He wore armor but his face was unmasked while he watched the spectacled doctor going over the data he had brought her. "I trust you now understand why Zero could not present this data to you personally."

Doctor Shian Soto casually adjusted her spectacles. Her hair was tied back into a tight bun and while she had acquired a few grey streaks she still looked as though she was in her early twenties. Her face right now was one of intense concentration and slightly disturbing joy. As if she was mentally dissecting the person in front of her. Death was one of the few people who didn't really find that gaze very upsetting. Possibly because he knew he had his own version of that look.

"Oh of course, can't create a situation where you could conceivably have used this ability on me before I authorise its classification."

"Your preliminary assessment?"

"Definitely worthy of both use and further testing. Your augmentation as well. I assumed you'd made the modifications to your arm personally. Now I see." She broke of as a black cat leapt up on her desk for her to nuzzle at it. On closer inspection one could see how the animal's front legs were delicate machine limbs. One of the creature's eyes was a glowing red optical piece with lenses that contracted and whirred as it turned its head. Dr Soto gently stroked her hand over the feline which purred contentedly.

"I meant in regard to Zero's Geass power."

"We may inform the conclave of the effects of the Geass and its limitations. That way they can be assured he has not used it on them and they can help us in planning uses of it. Oh the possibilities. I think however the exact means by which he creates the effect shall be classified. Let them assume that it is some one of a kind mechanical device that we will not duplicate for ethical reasons. I will sustain the black vault classification to discourage any further explanations. Of course you haven't told me just what it was that did give you these psychic powers."

Luthur narrowed his eyes. "Nor shall I. Revealing that will require some more discussion with Zero. It is complicated. That's the point of the Black Vault classification. You know enough to know why it must be classified Shian. No more." His expression made it clear that there would be no budging on this. "Besides I think the applications of Zero's new power are more than enough to occupy your mind."

She gave a brief laugh. "Linea will probably perform cartwheels. Used properly this will allow us to surpass even the Doppelganger program in potential infiltration of the enemy. Imagine sleeper agents who don't even know they are sleepers until activated by a key word or a specific event."

"While the thought of the Crowmother doing cartwheels is diverting I believe there is something else on your mind."

"It's your arm. When I had that battery of tests performed on it I found something remarkable. You have low level rejection syndrome correct?"

"Yes I suffer a thirty to thirty five percent loss in nervous system response unless I medicate once a month."

"You're due for another shot by now aren't you?"

"Yes."  
"You don't need one." She tapped a keyboard and two images appeared. They both showed the delicate tendrils of his nerves connecting to the monofilament wires of his cybernetics. The left one showed the build up of cells on the point where they connected at this magnification it appeared crude as if several black cables had been stuck into an oak tree. The one on the right showed a seamless melding of the nerves and the wires. The thin strands interweaving with one another as if they were part of a single rope to the point where they became indistinguishable from one another. "In case you haven't guessed the picture on the right is what you look like now. You body is naturally interfacing with your cybernetics. In fact according to your tests your reflex and response time has improved by twenty percent. Without a focus injection. Keeping in mind this is what i've learned from basic non invasive tests." She paused to catch her breath. "Luthur your cybernetics are beginning to behave like they were organic extensions of your body. You've achieved a state of synergy that we've only theorised of before. "

"Your point?"

"We could cure rejection syndrome forever. If we were to duplicate this we could easily raise every soldier in the black knights and the conclave to a state of bio synthetic fusion beyond anything we've imagined. We could finally create a direct neural interface especially considering what we've already gleaned from Clovis's experiments. Our pilots could command their war machines with a degree of control beyond even the neuro helmets."

Luthur gazed at his arm. Trying to discern the future in the black weave of its artificial muscles. He could feel the exuberance and joyous excitement coming from the doctor. A bright belief in seeing the potential for knowledge and advancement brought forth by an incredible discovery. He knew that feeling as he had felt it when in the ATLAS project he had unlocked scientific and technical achievements with the potential to change the world. He had gazed up at the stars and dreamed of travelling through the void to walk the moons pale surface borne forth by the fruit of his genius. He also remembered the cold feeling of grim acceptance. When he had gazed unflinchingly upon the immense potential for destruction and ruin his technology could create. Then he had set forth to harness that potential quite deliberately. He knew he would do it again. For the world he dreamed of was not one where the nation he loved was a slave. It was not one where Brittania was allowed to survive.

The inhuman metal talons clenched in a fist. "Very well doctor whenever I'm not working I will gladly allow you to analyse my data and the arm. But we will not inform the rest of the conclave of the source of its change. Let them assume that any alterations to it are simply in its mechanics for now. I will tell Zerro he may convene the council to hear your confirmation of the Black Vault. In the meantime feel free to continue your work on the neural interface. I look forward to hearing of your progress. "

Black Knights/ Conclave of the Dead Operation Terminology

Masquerade Protocol

A military operation is carried out using the weapons, gear, tactics and even language of another countries special operations unit. In these scenarios the team will often lead behind convincingly slight clues as to the supposed identity they are assuming. Sometimes allowing enemy troops to live and report on their activities.

Eraser Protocol

An emergency protocol to preserve operational security in the event of the team's total loss or capture. All evidence of their existence shall be erased using high powered incendiary explosives. Any physical evidence of their bodies or equipment shall be reduced to unrecoverable ash. The eraser often takes the form of an explosive carried with the team and /or a high powered missile delivered by a mobile vehicle outside the immediate operation area. Confirmation codes must be regularly entered at predetermined times to prevent the activation of the protocol.

Black Knights operative ranking system

Tier 1

CLASSIFIED

Tier 2

Commander, soldiers and intelligence officers who are aware of the true extent of the conclaves plans. Their responsibility is often the leadership of tier three and four operations as well as dedicated intelligence and espionage against Brittania.

Tier 3

Paramilitary and rebel organisations that operate under the Conclaves control. Some are partially aware of their obedience to a central authority while some know the conclave only as their anonymous backers.

Tier 4

Criminal and legitimate business assets that are aware of the fact that they are part of a greater organisation but are unaware of its true nature or goals. Forms the basis for infiltration of relevant infrastructure and generation of Conclave finances.

Tier 5

Criminals, compromised officials and legitimate business assets who are not even aware of the interconnected nature of the conclave. Rank and file uninformed as to their ties to any greater organisation. Criminal assets in particular considered disposable cut-out men in the event of potential capture or security breach.

Authors Notes

Derain: And so the dark deceptions of the conclave continue. Understand all these various explosions, assassinations and general skulduggery are being carried out over the same time period as Zero is leading the Black knights in all their vigilante actions. This chapter is mainly from the perspective of the horsemen. The next one will mostly be dealing with the raid refrain episode and Kallen's perspective.

War: In fluent Chinese = "Yes we know how to kill you in 37 different languages"=

Luthur: Nice to see some codification of what the tiers actually mean.

Derain: I felt it was time. The Tier Five's are basically the expendable mooks who have no clue what is going on. The Black knights are basically starting out as tier three operatives. Although all of the original group are going to rise to the second tier at least as they form the command team for Zero's newly formed (Hah) guerrilla army. Ohgi and Kallen are the only two who I think may make it to tier one status anytime soon.

Kallen: But we still don't know what the first tier actually means.

Derain: Remember secrecy is paramount. Throughout the Season one Canon the black knights appeared to be a highly effective, well lead guerrilla army with a small core of excellent pilots and powerful high tech knightmares. But the majority of Zero's army was armed with knock offs of Brittanian equipment. Heck they didn't even have any actual combat armour for the infantry. They had one submarine and almost no air power whatsoever. In this story the corner stone of Zero's strategy is to make it appear for as long as possible that that is what Cornelia is dealing with. Even though the reality is quite different.

Now while I intend to ramp up the core of technically advanced and kick arse warmachines to _bone smashing levels of brutal destruction_ the black knights are still going to make it appear as if a lot of their army is equipped with more average stuff. Like five Burai's for every Ronin and five Ronin for every Nobuseri battlemech. Until of course the REDACTED launch their attack from REDACTED along with REDACTED and REDACTED To utterly REDACTED them using REDACTED. Oh what's the point I made Redactatron too good at his job.

REDACTATRON: You are welcome.

Euphemia: Good god what are you doing to the poor kitty cats.

Doctor Soto: What? They are kept completely unconscious during the cyber brain integration process.

Derain: And here's the other point yes Luthur does lead a collection of mad scientists. I did mention the ethical dubiousness didn't I? It makes sense that the person he would go to about the effects of Geass is the one who knows the most about brains and of course helped build his arm in the first place. I'm also basing a lot of this off the canon. In the feudal era manga the prosthetic arm behaved a lot more like an organic limb once the hero received the power of THE CURSE.

Doctor Soto: I don't think I am mad simply a lateral thinker. Isn't that right Sascha my adorable little cat with your anti personnel laser eye.

Lelouch: A Laser eye?

Doctor Soto: I think every creature deserves a warm meal.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

_It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live._

The Queen

**Area 11, Brittanian Settlement, The Stadtfield residence, 2017 A.T.B **

Kallen Stadtfield lay flat out, exhausted on her bed face buried in her pillow. The only piece of clothing she wore a pink pair of underwear. She turned her head slightly as the low voice of the television echoed through the room.

"It's been two weeks since his initial debut and they are still clearing debris away from the Lake Kawaguchi convention centre."

"What about these four horseman?"

"Well if we follow the biblical allusion then the masked woman with the bow is probably meant to represent conquest."

"I thought the horsemen were War, Death, Famine and Pestilence."

"A common misconception. In the bible, conquest is the rider of the white horse. Wearing a golden crown and armed with a bow."

"Well regardless, what do you think of their shift to vigilante actions as opposed to the earlier military actions of the group?"

"I think it's wanting to fight an enemy they are certain of beating. Certainly the one time Zero went up against Cornelia didn't end with any victory for him."

Kallen smirked in her sleep. Then her eyes snapped open as a loud crash echoed through her door. The speed with which she rose was a far cry from the frail figure she presented to the world. In fact if anyone had taken a really good look at her they would have noticed the strength of newly toned muscles and the faint bruising from hits. Shinigami had worked the black knights hard in their training her more then the others. She moved to a chair and pulled a white bedrobe up to cover her naked breasts. She tied the cloth closed as she walked to the door.

Outside a brown haired Japanese maid knelt looking at a crashed chandelier her hands shaking slightly as if she was afraid to touch it. Kallen humphed in exasperation. "Again?"

The maid looked up. "Sorry mistress it was the stepladder this time."

"Just clean it up."

"Mistress Kallen you've been spending more time at school lately. Made any new friends?"

"I don't see how that is any business of yours." Kallen slammed the door closed. Then knelt weeping against it. "Just go will you." On her mantelpiece was a photo of a young Kallen and her brother holding a woman's hands. The woman's face was covered by a sticker. The young Naoto Kouzuki looking at ease.

War

**Area 11, Kyushu Settlement, 2012 A.T.B**

"Eat flechette rounds you zebra molesting Brits." the roar was almost drowned out by the sound of the machine gun going full auto. The machine scattered spent casings as the one holding it swept his weapon back and forth keeping the Brittanian soldiers pinned. In the light the flash of his weapon illuminated the large man. He was garbed in khaki coloured combat armour. His face was broad and craggy with a square jaw and hawklike nose. His pale hair cut back in a military crew cut. The man's voice carried the thick accent of a South African. A tell tale clicking warned him the weapon was nearing the point where it might jam. He then leapt back behind a concrete pillar and out a door. He flung a smoke grenade behind him as he moved. "Clear 27" he yelled out the safe word as he moved around the corner. There calmly reloading his rifle was a young Japanese in a stained Kevlar vest.

"Anders I suspect that the stealth part of our mission is no longer in effect?"

"Why yes Naoto." The sound of distant gunfire echoed back down the hall. "What tipped you off _mein gut_ friend?"

"Oh I don't know the Brittanian soldiers who really were guarding the place in twice the strength we were told." Then Naoto pulled a small electronic device from his vest and tapped the third button on it three times quickly. A massive explosion sent dust, smoke and body parts flying down the corridor. "Or the fact that I just detonated one of the priming charges before we left the building." There was a slightly ominous creaking sound now coming through the air. He then stood up, put the detonator into his pocket and drew his rifle. "You have your own detonator?"

Anders patted at the object hanging from his left hip's equipment harness. "Yes so let's get the hell out of here."

The Queen

**Area 11, Tokyo settlement, Industrial sector 4, 10PM, 2017 A.T.B **

The lights of the Brittanian settlement turned buildings red in the night a backdrop to the darkened row of storehouses.

In a warehouse a thin Brittanian official spoke with a heavy set man with thick lips and greasy hair. Surrounding them twenty men some in battered Brittanian combat armour others in plainclothes. All were armed.

"I know it's for welfare but why waste it on elevens?" The fat one spoke with a smirk in his voice.

"That's right my friend which is why I am selling it to you. Besides the Eleven population could do with a little thinning out if you ask me." Indeed the lack of the vaccines and vitamin supplements in the crates would have a negative effect on the Elevens health.

Armoured warriors burst leapt across rooftops a bone armoured figure and another clad in crimson steel leading them.

"The payment will be transferred to your wife's account."

"Princess Cornelia is a soldier, this sort of thing doesn't bother her."

The lights went out and the sound of gun fire ripped apart the room.

"Turn on the lights, turn on the lights."

Above them on the gantry stood soldiers garbed in black samurai esque gear. Amongst them stood Zero flanked by two of his power armoured warriors gigantic weapons pointed down at the criminals. Death flanked him. The bone faced warrior spoke. "Gentlemen I'm afraid you're about to be the victims of a field test."

In the midst of their terror they did not notice the red figure descend from the ceiling. Plummeting downwards trailing harken cables. The guard to their right made a squishing noise as 0.2 tons of armoured death crushed him into paste. Rising from the ruin was a female figure in dark crimson power armour. This one showed more exposed muscle cable then the others. The curves of the smooth metal plates reflected pinpricks of light. The edges of its shoulder plates curving upwards like a crescent moon. Its right hand was tipped with silver talons. A white faceplate with four golden optics gazed on the criminals who pissed themselves in fear. The guards opened up with their rifles. But the metal figure leapt backwards somersaulted through the air and attached itself to the far wall. With the clawed hand digging into the stone tiny ports in its armoured shoulderpads opened slightly and several guards fell clutching at their eyes in pain. The figure leapt forwards engaging the enemy in close. A swinging cable garrotted one soldier while an expert kick backed by myomer muscle strength collapsed another's ribcage and sent him flying into the far wall. A rifle with tiny glowing red lights along the barrel was pulled forth and the red fury spun towards another bunch of guards. The rifle made a faint whining sound as the trigger was pulled. The guard farthest on the left had his arm blow off along with the whole upper right quarter of his body. The weapon swung and the second soldier fell backwards after a gaping hole was blasted in his torso. The last tried to duck but all that happened was half his head being blown away. Steam rose from the superheated remains as he fell forwards. The clawed right hand rose to her back and a katana with edges of spinning chainblades was pulled out. They created a stream of orange sparks as the swords miniture motors whirred. Slicing one soldier straight down the middle while she swung the rifle left handed to explosively disembowel another. By this point the few remaining bodyguards had taken cover and opened up with a withering crossfire. They were only using civilian lead rounds however which deformed and bounced off the metal plating like hail. A second set of harkens fired from the figure's shoulders and shattered their guns before retracting into the armour.

The two would be leaders turned to run only to trip as the slash harkens shot out from the killer skewered their legs and dragged them back towards the crimson fury.

The thin Brittanian gasped "What are you?"

**Brittanian Settlement Ashford Academy**

"The Black knights." Kallen stood up as she yelled out the words. Only to realise she was standing in the middle of class and everyone was staring at her. Then they started laughing.

Later Shirley spoke with concern "I've never seen you doze off in class like that."

Kallen blushed

Rivalz spoke up. "You should take pointers from Lelouch he's mastered sleeping in class."

"He's not asleep now is he?"

"I don't know what he's up to night after night but he sleeps through almost half his classes now."

The War Maiden and the Princess

**Brittanian Settlement, Government Citadel, Train loading bay. **

In a narrow gap between two of the government centre's upper structures Cornelia's forces prepared to move out across Area 11

Armoured trains were loaded with knightmares and material. Infantry teams took their places on transports as they pulled out of the station just before the next train pulled in for loading. Through it all Cornelia spoke to her sister Euphemia.

"The EU is launching a new offensive on the El Alemain Front. I don't want to keep dragging our feet around here. So we need to stabilise the domestic situation, to do that we must stamp out terrorism. But there's another problem. The over abuse of Refrain is causing massive drops in productivity amongst the numbers. There is indication the Chinese Federation is sending Refrain in on the Kyushu line among other things."

"The attack on the factory near Kyushu?"

"Possibly. We've got half my 'intelligence' operatives pushing the belief that Zero is some agent of the high eunuchs. Personally I doubt it. But between the refrain and the 'unidentified' attackers at Kyushu I do believe the federation is trying to keep the situation in Area 11 … contentious."

"What about Zero?"

"We're stepping up searches and increasing security. Zero hasn't hit any military targets after the first week of his guerrilla raids. We'll leave him to his little vigilante crusade for now. I owe him that for saving your life. Zero is dangerous but he is not the biggest threat. I won't let these raids of his distract me from the Chinese or the JLF. They are the largest and most well equipped military force in Area 11. But after the JLF is finished I will hunt Zero down, see him and his horsemen unmasked and then publically execute them all. It is well past time that Area 11 becomes a satellite nation." Cornelia held her sisters cheek. "After I'm done here I'll leave the administration of area 11 in your hands Euphie."

Euphemia nodded. Although right then she could hear the scathing tones of the Lady Kami predicting this very action.

"Still that does not mean I won't be taking precautions against Zero. Especially in regards to your own security." She held up her hand to forestall any protests. "No wandering off anymore Euphemia. You are not to leave the settlement. You're going to be accompanied by a full squad wherever you go. Whether they are in plainclothes or uniform is not relevant but you will accept higher security. Zero kept his word about keeping you alive at the hotel. It does not mean he or others won't seek your death to get at me."

Euphemia's thoughts went back to her meeting with the masked man. _Was keeping his word the only reason though?_ His words echoed in her mind."Because Clovis was the offspring of the Brittanian emperor."

_When he spoke to me that night what was he alluding to? Suzaku what would you make of all this, of what Zero is doing and of me?_

The Queen

**Area 11, Ashford Academy**

Kallen yawned as she leaned against the doorway "Man this double life is a killer."

When she opened the door she saw a bizarre scene. The entire student council were dressed in cat suits. Lelouch was being held down in a chair while Suzaku pushed a pair of cat ears onto his head.

"Sorry Lelouch it's the presidents order." Suzaku apologised while Milly finished painting whiskers on Lelouch's face.

"Oh like you're not enjoying this."

"What's going on?"

Milly batted a cats paw at Kallen "Good Meowning."

"Good morning I guess."

"It's the cat party to welcome Arthur." Rivalz gestured towards the black cat sunning itself on a bench.

"Milly grinned "Well classes are postponed so we might as well have some fun."

Shirley smiled. "I wanted to make up for before. Look I've got a bunch of suits prepared for you."

"She doesn't need one. She's already wearing a mask." Lelouch's wry grin only frustrated Kallen more.

"What a riot. You really should be on TV you know."

Rivalz turned to Shirley. "What do you think miss Movie star."

"Will you cut that out. It's incredibly annoying. Everyone keeps asking us about it. Even in the baths. We haven't been able to leave the school grounds without getting mobbed by reporters."

Rivalz spoke up. "Yeah but why are we stuck here too?"

"That's the price of friendship. The romance of the three kingdoms. It matters not that we were born apart upon this day we die as one."

"That's your idea of an inspiring speech?"

"If I go down we all do."

"And that's the reason I won't be following Milly to war any time soon. I always preferred Conan the barbarian Let us 'drive our enemies forth and hear the lamentations of their women' hahah."

Kallen looked and across the hall was a video screen with Luthur's face on it smiling.

Lelouch yelled out. "Curse you Luthur I thought you were going to get me out of this."

"No I was going to get me out of this. I have work sometimes you know besides you look rather adorable. Business demands that I avoid getting catted today."

However Kallen smothered a giggle as Milly walked around behind the vid screen and put a pair of cat ears on the top of the monitor.

"I'm so glad." They turned to look at Suzaku who seemed on the verge of tears. "That we could all be together like this."

Rivalz said "Oh cut the sad stuff we are supposed to be unwinding here." Upon which he tackled Suzaku to the ground.

Everyone burst into laughter

Kallen smiled to herself. _Its funny realising I saved their lives. Ever since the hotel jacking the black knights have taken the world by storm_

_We've become a friend to the weak just like Zero proclaimed we would. Terrorists who target civilians, overbearing military officials, corrupt government officials, criminals._

_In the blink of an eye we have become heroes. Support is swelling for us we've gotten our hands on a dozen knightmares. Recruits are pouring in. Of course we can't tell anyone that._ For a moment Kallens thoughts turned to the memory of a mother scolding her son for dressing like a black knight. "We must not do anything that is against Brittania, we're elevens have you forgotten that."

_Many of us wonder myself included. We know there are others outside the group who obey him and those death troopers of Shinigami's…But if we push too hard I fear that they would both vanish. Or worse I wonder if Shinigami would consider us loose ends and just remove us as he has so many._ Kallen gave a wry grin. _Although all that training he's put me through would go to waste._

**Area 11, The Ravenscroft the previous night**

The black knights stood in awe as two warriors circled each other across the mat. On one hand was Death. He wore loose cloth pants, his face was covered by the bone mask and a circle of cloth and sculpted bone was draped over his upper shoulders and neck. He twirled a longstaff. Facing him was Kallen Kozouki garbed in a simple belted vest and cloth plants. She wore a helmet with wraparound optics. In her hands she held a katana although her left hand was covered by a metal gauntlet with two blades extending over the fist. The faint marring of several bruises could be seen on her body. Death spoke. "All knights shift your helmets cameras to noospheric imagery." Suddenly the mat was alive with streams of data. Computer generated holograms overlaid the ring rising and falling to form temporary walls around the combatants. Statistics on limb strength, reach cardiovascular systems played across their vision. Spinning holograms surrounded them both in cascades of information as if they were under a waterfall of binary code. "Your power armor helmet's HUD can provide you with a degree of information and targeting ability far greater than any Brittanian combat Helmet. But your ability to use it effectively is dependant on you maintaining focus. On distinguishing reality from the images laid over it. Of keeping your aim even as a torrent of light assails you." At that he charged at Kallen using his staff to vault him into a kick aimed at her head. As he did her helmet provided a swath of information that she understood and in a split second she sidestepped his attack and slashed at his torso only to see him twist mid air roll away and come to his feet circling her again while his digital outline followed him like a shadow.

"The most basic use of the Neurohelmet and skin suit is to allow the power armour to move in perfect unison with your own body. It copies the automatic movements of your nervous system. You don't think about opening your hand you just open it." He swung the staff and Kallen leaned back shifting her feet to come at him with her sword blade swinging towards his head. He spun his weapon around and deflected it. "But the helmet can do so much more. It is possible to associate commands with specific mental impulses. You can move beyond voice commands into activating specific functions through thought alone." She lanced forward with her blade held two handed. As he batted it away she released her left hand to slice at the centre of his staff. He twisted the staff and it came apart into two wooden staves that he used to bat her away. "A simple voice command, a gesture of the eye, a concentrated mental image and you can set a gun to autotarget." He slashed at the sword with both of his staves forcing her back. Even while he did so the holographic images of weapon turrets popped up from the floor and Kallen dodged the simulated fire. "Determine the weight tolerance of the floor you stand upon." She flipped backwards as black 'holes' opened up where she'd been standing. "But if you don't want to activate these functions with a random thought you must cultivate mental discipline equal if not greater than physical mastery. So that me yelling out 'the floor is on fire!" Kallen leapt sideways as her helmet reacted to her own thoughts and a wave for digital flames flared up. "Does not make you mentally activate that part of the simulation." Kallen stood in a stance her legs slightly further apart shifting her weight subtly from one foot to the other as she held the blade above her head. Sweat beaded on her brow but her gaze was unwavering as she stared right back into deaths bone mask.

Death tensed and then charged at her dodging slightly as a barrage of distracting imagery assaulted her through the helmet. He swung his staff straight only to see her step aside. Digital holograms appeared around him of multiple Kallen Kouzouki's. She caught the wooden staff with the blade and then deflected the blow. Guiding it down to the floor even as she stepped in and alongside him. Shinigami paused and then turned to where she stood. His hand went to his side and the thin trickling line of blood from the cut there. He nodded. "You activated the projector function of the program. Excellent." He tapped at a holographic control panel that appeared next to him. Artificial walls began to rise from the floor turning the sparring area into a maze. The fake hologuns disappeared. Then real ones descended from the ceiling. "Set to rubber bullets." Then he ran his middle finger down the side of his left arm. He ripped the false skin right off exposing the black synthetic muscle. He flung the staff aside as metal claws extended from his finger tips. The arm flexed and he drew a curved knife out of a compartment inside the arm. The mask hid all expression but everything in his stance and his voice yelled out that he was grinning ear to ear. "Now we get serious." His clawed arm extended out towards her even as the guns began to fire.

The swords

**Area 11, Narita Mountains, Hyung Do JLF subterranean base. **

The four holy swords and their leader Tohdoh knelt on the floor as they discussed the present situation. "Why would the masses rally around those who saved the life of a Brittanian princess it makes no sense."

"I hear that Kyoto is sending the black knights the Guren Mark 2."

"Why? these knights aren't even part of the resistance."

The old man of the group spoke up. "It was because of Lady Kami. I'm not sure but it appears there is some sort of dispute going on within the six houses of Kyoto. Lady Kami has been supporting the black knights and she used the hotel jacking to push for them to receive the knightmare."

"Are we certain it was her with Zero at the hotel?"

"Kyoto confirmed it. They also said that she and half of the houses are very unhappy with us for Kusakabe going off the rails. She's accepted that Kusakabes actions were not authorised but she used the fact that he threw away the Raikou cannon as justification for transferring the Guren to those 'able to make better use of it.'"

Chiba spoke up in anger. "This is ludicrous the black knights killed Kusakabe. How can she support them?"

Tohdoh spoke softly. "The lady was never an admirer of Kusakabe. We don't even know if he's actually dead some of the prisoners she released back to us said that he'd been taken captive as well."

"Regardless we can't let this stand."

The Queen and the Reaper

**Area 11, Tokyo Settlement, Stadtfield residence.**

Kallen looked with surprise as the maid opened the door for her visitor. There standing in black jeans and a close fitting shirt was Luthur. His large physique seemed to completely fill the doorway even as his hand held some documents. "Hello Kallen I came to bring you something."

The maid turned towards her. "Where would you like me to bring him mistress. The parlour perhaps or?"

"We'll be in my room." Kallen's anger dissipated as she thought more closely through what she had just said.

"Well I heard that a friend had come I thought it was a boy. Close a rather handsome man." Kallen looked up to see her stepmother with her thin frame and elaborately moulded blond hair. Who was looking down upon them with a mixture of disdain and speculation. "Out all night and trips to the ghetto. I shudder to think what your father will think of this. Still at least we know you can attract some decent company." She sashayed down the steps swaying her hips. "Mr Luther Lamplerouge. My husband spoke of you at a dinner. He didn't mention what good shape you were in."

_My stepmother is hitting on Lelouch's brother._ _Erghh._ Luthur apparently was not finding it very comfortable either as he politely disengaged. Kallen spoke up "You're one to talk. You're the one whose been enjoying dad not being around much."

Kallen's step mom looked like she was about to yell right back when a crashing vase broke the silence.

"Oh dear what have I done."

The maid knelt down and started to pick up the broken shards of pottery.

"You clumsy fool can't you do anything right. Except sell your body that is." The woman sneered before sauntering up the stairs.

Later in Kallen's room Luthur handed her a small document. "The principle asked me to give this to you. It's your academic transcript from your earlier school days."

"So my secrets out that I'm really an Eleven Brittanian halfbreed."

"Speaking as one myself I hardly see that as a bad thing."

"You are a."

"Most people don't realise it. Those who do know don't put it about. It's amazing how quickly racism can become uncomfortable when the person it's targeted at can buy you out."

"That's my stepmother down there. My mother is that useless maid. When Area 11 was incorporated my father divorced her. My brother refused to accept Brittanian citizenship and told my father to go to hell. I never saw him after that."

"She lives here?"

"Yes she wound up a servant but she remains here like a jilted lover."

"It almost sounds like you hate her."

"I just find her depressing."

"It is strange the daughter, the first wife and the other woman all under one roof."

"It's not so bad really three square meals and a roof over your head right."

"True. Some things people should not share too easily but if you add them all up without help. Eventually they can break you."

Kallen sighed. "Maybe."

"Don't worry Kallen I have secrets of my own which is why I am so good at keeping them. I won't betray your confidence."

Kallen smiled at the large man and repressed a desire to blush as she remembered what happened when they met earlier. "Thank you Luthur."

The Devil and the Knight

**Area 11, Tokyo Settlement, Ashford Academy.**

Suzaku was once again being clawed by the cat as he tidied up the council room. "I'm just so glad that they've gotten over what happened."

Lelouch looked at Suzaku casually. "Well good thing the Black knights were there to save them. That's all I can say."

Suzaku flinched as if stung. "If they wanted to catch criminals they could have joined the police force. Why didn't they I wonder?

"Perhaps they don't think the police are up to the job. Or since they are a resistance group maybe they find the idea of serving any system created by Brittania too repellent." _Yes Suzaku lets see how you respond to that little jab._

"The police might not be effective now but if they worked hard to improve things within the system they might be better."

_Hmm he ignored the second part of my statement. _"And in the process they get caught up in red tape and the less then impartial police service. Come on Suzaku some of the criminals they killed were police officers who were working for criminals."

"Then they should have been exposed and punished through the legal process. If these knights had done everything to improve things first then they might hold water. As it is all they are doing is self righteous posturing."

"Self righteous?" _Something about that last statement worked him up?._

"And what defines justice in their eyes? Whose standards are they using? It's nothing but self satisfying, gratification."

Shirley walked in. "Oh hi you two."

"Anyway I have to go back to the base."

Shirley blushed a bit and then looked at Lelouch. "Uhmm Lelouch I was wondering if."

"That was an interesting choice of words."

"What?"

"Back to base. As if that is where he belongs." Lelouch's eyes squinted in contained anger.

The Queen and the Devil

"Refrain?"

"It's a psychotropic makes you think you've gone back to the past. Let's face it who doesn't want to relive the glory days?"

"I hear that."

"This stuff was targeted specifically at the Japanese so we can't really ignore it. Apparently these guys will have more firepower than the others so War is going to provide support along with a pair of heavy duty Ronin."

"It's amazing how much hardware and recruits we're getting."

"Yeah I gotta admit Zero does know how to get people fired up. I'll call you when the ammo is loaded into the Ronin's."

Kallen closed her phone then turned her head, At a new sound of boot leather meeting flesh. A band of five were beating up an eleven hot dog vendor. "What's the matter Eleven kneeling in the dirt is what you do isn't it?"

Kallen moved to assist when a thin hand grabbed her arm. "Don't there are five of them you wouldn't stand a chance."

Kallen turned to see Lelouch Lamplerouge. "You can't mean we have to allow this."

"Look at that man." Kallen did and now the hot dog vendor was covering his head while the men kicked at him. "If we stop them he'll just receive worst tomorrow and won't be able to sell hotdogs here. That man chose to be a Brittanian slave. It's the price you pay for working in the settlement."

"Even so."

"Hey you guys don't object to us beating on this worthless eleven do you."

The thugs had now walked towards them.

_At least the eleven can put his clothes on the right way round you cretin. _Lelouch thought as he looked at one who thought it stylish to have his jacket on backwards.

"No this guy feels the same way we do."

"Not at all but still you're bored of beating up Elevens now aren't you?" The red crane flew forth and reordered the five young men's minds.

"Yeah I'm tired of this lets go to the arcade."

As soon as the thugs had left Kallen hurried over to the vendor. "Are you allright?" The beaten man saw her school tie.

"Oh a Brittanian student. Would you like a California hot dog miss." Kallen winced at the servility in the mans voice. "Oh is this your boyfriend I have some ice cream too."

Unale to bear it she walked away and Lelouch followed her. Eventually they sat down on a bench as Lelouch talked.

"In some ways Area Eleven is better off after being conquered. Being a part of Brittanian has stabilised its economic and political situation in the world. Elevens can even obtain full citizenship through the legal process. It's easy. Just a question of pride really. Although I can understand why they would resist."

"And in all this, what do you want to do? What does Lelouch Lamplerouge think of all this?"

"Nothing."

"No surprise. You know you have great brains but unlike your brother you don't do anything with them. It's all Shirley talks about."

"That's my point. That Hot dog vendor can tell you. You can lead a better life if you just bow your head to Brittania."

SLAP. Kallen was now standing after smacking Lelouch clear across the face. "You think you're so cool sitting there and apathetically judging the world. I guess I was a fool to expect anything more from you. I really thought you were a better man than this" Then she stalked away. _I will make a difference._

**Area 11, Tokyo Settlement, the Errants rest bar.**

The Errants rest was known for being a popular hangout for Brittanian knightmare pilots. Ceiling fans slowly stirred the cigarette smoke of its patrons. At the bar Jeremiah commander of Area 11's main Harrier team chatted with a fellow knight.

Jeremiah had been surprised when Viletta had asked him out for drinks. Although he was marginally glad that she was still talking to him. The other purebloods seemed to hate him even more for managing to still retain a chance for moving up in the ranks while they all languished in obscurity. "About that orange thing."

"You don't believe me either do you." No one did when he mentioned the memory loss and since it was believed that his actions had been justified he'd let it go.

"I do believe you. In Shinjuku I experienced memory loss as well."

"You mean when they found you tied up near the royal guard?" The fact that she had been left alive but the royal guard had all been killed combined with the theft of the knightmare had resulted in some interrogation of Viletta. In fact she was still under more suspicion then Jeremiah.

Viletta scowled at the memory of being found trussed up like a turkey by the infantry and the suspicion she had endured ever since. "Yes there is an odd gap in my memory but I vaguely remember an image of a young man. I don't remember his face but I think he was wearing a school uniform. Of course after everything that has happened my word is mud with any official investigators."

"You think this student may be connected to zero?"

**Area 11, Kyushu Settlement, 2012 A.T.B**

"Damnit Death we need an exit strategy." the south African yelled into his com as he and Naoto retreated down another corridor. The glass windows to one side offering a five story drop they did not have the time to rappel down. "We can't blow any more charges without dropping the building on top of ourselves."

The Cold voice of death came over the communicator. "Team two and three have already disengaged as well as Naoto's resistance fighters. I will provide covering fire on the hallway. Head down the stairwell at the end and straight for the lobby." Behind them several guards came around a corner only for their heads to be splattered by high powered sniper shots from the building opposite. As they reached the end a lone Brittanian who'd been running down the branching corridor crashed right into Naoto. Anders had no time to fire his weapon only watch as the two soldiers grappled together. The Soldier drew a knife but Naoto headbutted him and then kicked him back out the window. As the Brittanian fell he grabbed onto the detonators handle and wrenched it from Naotos carrying harness. He screamed as he tumbled backwards to his death. Then Death's voice came back over the radio. "By the way team two dropped their eraser satchel and tied it into the detonator frequency so make sure you are well away from the blast zone."

Together Naoto and Anders hit the stairwell and took the steps four at a time. They reached the ground floor and rushed out past the bodies of dead Brittanians Death had dispatched to secure their exit. They had just cleared the lobby of the building and were five meters out the door when they both stopped at the sight in front of them. The Brittanian soldier Naoto had flung out of the window was alive. His legs shattered and gore oozing out his torn clothing but alive. He hauled himself towards them trailing blood and then rolled over revealing in his hand the second detonator. He coughed "All hail Brittania."

"Oh Shit." And then Anders pushed Naoto down as the charges went off.

The building exploded in flame and a storm of shattered glass. A hail of shards flying towards the two figures carried in a wavefront of fire. Soon the entire building began falling in upon itself sending up massive plumes of dust and smoke.

Further explosions in the distance signalled the destruction of other buildings as power cut out and the entire settlement plunged into darkness.

Death looked across at the smoking ruin of a man kneeling on the ground. Rivulets of blood seeping out of cracks in the armour plating. The face was scarred and looked like it had been flattened with a mallet. A large spike of metal shrapnel imbedded in the man's back. A shattered arm hung at impossible angles. Next to him lay a burnt human figure of meat. The head was unrecognisable the eyes were gone. As was an arm and both legs. Blackened patches of skin flaking off the charred and broken remnant. The first figure moved. He grabbed at a pouch pulling forth a small syringe and jabbed it into the burnt figure before falling to the ground at last.

The Black knights

**Area 11, Brittanian settlement, Docks District 2, 2017 A.T.B, 10 PM **

Tamaki knelt next to a wall his face indistinguishable from the others in his samurai gear. Kallen stood like a crimson statue in her power armour flanked by Sohni and Ohgi wearing the standard Titan gear. "What's Zero thinking after all his talk of bringing down Brittania he's just got us running around helping the police." A pair of Ronin stood behind them piloted by Yoshida and Sugiyama. One of the Ronin had a large riot shield covering part of one arm. The other had a pair of ammo cases attached to its cockpit while both hands were dedicated to holding a Knightmare scale tri barrelled heavy machine gun.

"Its about gathering support Shinigami said we needed to have the people behind us."

"Oh yeah and what about those yakuza guys who tipped us off to this place? They count?"

"Hey they may be crooks but they're still Japanese even they don't want refrain on the streets."

"Maybe." _But sometimes I don't know what goes on in that skull face's head_ Tamaki's thoughts turned to his memories of when Kallen had first gotten her customised power armour.

It had been at Ravenscroft where Shinigami had led Kallen to the back of the equipment room to show off his creation. "This suit has made for you. It uses the latest upgrades in non radio based communication with line of sight laser link and microwave burst emitters. The little devices in the shoulders track enemy head movements and allow you to blind them by amping up the power of the communication lasers and aiming for their eyes. The muscles bundles have been infused with thin quantities of sakuradite to increase speed and reaction strength. You will have four slash harkens not two. The holographic overlay of your helmet combined with your skill at using the Neurohelmet will enable you to use them even while locked in close combat. As well as target and autocorrect your mauser laser rifle." Then Shinigami opened up a lovingly detailed wooden box. He drew forth a black katana with thousands of tiny serrated teeth along its blade. "This is a chain katana capable of cutting through any Brittanian body armour like it was paper." He presented it to her. "Use it well."

The way Death had talked while giving her the gear had been odd almost like…

Tamaki whispered to War over a private com link. "Hey War earlier when Shinigami gave Kallen her gear that wasn't his equivalent of him giving her flowers was it?"

War spoke in an utterly emotionless and yet horribly menacing voice. "Tamaki for the sake of our continued respiration. Never even speculate on that subject again."

Ohgi's talking broke him out of his reverie. "Still, feels good to have the people behind us though."

Sohni spoke up. "Yeah we're heroes."

Suddenly a glowing glyph appeared in the top right corner of all their HUD's. "That's the signal lets go."

Within the ware house criminals loaded up crates of refrain for distribution commenting on how safe they were here in the heart of the settlement. Then the doors exploded inwards and armoured terrors marched through firing their weapons. Warriors garbed in samurai plate with concealing gas masks and giant soldiers in metal armour firing enormous rifles.

"Hey the black knights have arrived to disembowel you."

Two of the black power armoured soldiers advanced using their massive bodies as shields against the desperate return fire. The crimson one in the middle charged forwards at incredible speed firing a strange rifle weapon. Cables shot out from its shoulders as it passed slicing the heads off those too slow to duck. Meanwhile one of the Ronin swung around the inner perimeter of the room running over those too slow to escape.

_These power suits really are amazing each one is an army unto itself_. Kallen's thoughts were interrupted as she fired another blast from her Mauser causing a luckless criminals head to explode as his brains and blood turned to vapour. She picked up speed and swung her chain katana in a downward slash. She cut straight through the thin metal door at the back of the room like it was paper.

What awaited her was a chamber rendered completely dark. With a thought her helm shifted to low light vision and she was horrified. Before her were dozens of people all of them crying out in joy lost in their own memories. "Japan is at the forefront of technology."

"I'm getting married next month."

There in a corner she could see the hot dog vendor. "I'm studying abroad I can't believe I got in."

_When you add them all up they can break you. "_That's right and that's why I'm here."

"Kallen come back here. Kallen." Kallen stared in shock at the figure walking through the darkness in front of her. It was her mother. Stumbling in the grip of hallucination she fell forward only to be caught by Kallen's metal clad arm. Kallen mother didn't notice. "Naoto I need you to keep an eye on your sister."

Kallen's voice echoed inside her helmet. "My god how weak are you mother. First you cling to Brittania, then a man and now this. My Brother is gone forever, let him go."

Suddenly An alarm spiked in her vision as a large heat source came around a corner. The imagery immediately resolved itself into a familiar outline. A knightmare! Kallen flung her mother over her shoulder and ran left as a second and then a third knightmare emerged from the shadows. It was painted white and it raised a sub machine gun that spat heated flechettes at the power armoured warrior. At the last minute Kallen angled her shoulders to prevent a direct hit on her or her mother. The rounds carved deep furrows in the metal plating but she ran on even though small alarms now appeared on her HUD. "Knightpolice here?"

Zero's voice came over the communicator "Indeed that's why this group has been operating for so long. Yoshida, Sugiyama come in from the flanks and engage or we'll catch the civilians in a crossfire."

Unfortunately the one who'd shot at Kallen seemed bent on chasing her down. Her armour allowed her to run faster than any normal human and she dodged through the maze of crates. In this environment she could easily lose him and then use her harkens and servo assisted strength to attack. I she didn't have to carry her mother.

"Damn it you're in the way." Kallen cursed as she fired her laser weapon back over her shoulder unable to properly aim with her mother held in one arm. An echoing rattle of heavy fire followed by an explosion signalled the demise of the other Knightpolice.

"Damn it why can't I let you go." Kallen cursed as the knightpolice fire shredded a shelf and several shipping containers fell down boxing her in. "I don't need you I don't want you." The containers also shielded her from sight but also trapped her. She could grapnel up to the ceiling and escape if she abandoned her mother.

"I'm here for you Kallen."

"What?" Kallen was so stunned she could barely hear the sound of the knightmare shifting the containers to find her.

"I'm here for you as I always have been. I'm s glad you're a Brittanian now no will hurt you. You can go to school and I will watch you."

"That's why you stayed in his house? For me? You fool." The last container was shoved aside and the echoing thump of the knightmare came closer.

"Or maybe I'm the fool." Kallen gritted her teeth as the knightmare came around the corner and levelled its gun at her. Kallen let out a shrieking warcry that echoed out form her helmet speakers. She dropped her mother and then fired three of her slash harkens right at the knightmares head. She powered the motors to full retraction and jumped extending her blade forwards like a lance. She plunged straight at the knightmare like an arrow and rammed the blade through the thin line of armour that protected the factsphere. Sparks erupted from the blinded knightmare and Kallen yanked out her blade flipped over onto the cockpit block and fired her laser down at the cockpit. The driver panicked and spun around trying to shake her off. But Kallen clung on. Her computer system showed her the location of the enemy inside the cockpit as a holographic simulation. Digging her boots into the cockpit block she stabbed her sword straight down into the area she'd weakened with her laser. The sword penetrated the cockpit and immediately bisected the pilots head. The knightmare jarred to a halt. The motors on her weapon stilled. Then the last knightpolice came into view its right arm was damaged and it leaned against the wall raising its weapon towards her.

As Kallen leapt off she saw the vehicle stop at the end. Then the wall collapsed and Wars tank burst through snapping off the knightmares legs and crushing its luckless pilot beneath its treads.

War's grim voice echoed over the team's comlink "DIE YOU CORRUPT WORM I. Wait. Kallen are you alright who is that?"

Kallen looked back to see her mother now kneeling on the floor oblivious to the ruin all around her Kallen knelt down beside her even as war opened the hatch of his tank and Zero came around the corner watching all with his expressionless gaze.

War

**Area 11, The hidden city, Cybernetic medic bay, A.T.B 2012**

The figure gasped in pain his eyes flickering from point to point as he awoke. He was bound to a table by strips of steel. He looked down at his hands. He felt convinced it was a nightmare for it looked like the skin had been taken away and his muscles turned black as pitch. The ends of his fingers were silver and they clacked like metal as he clenched and unclenched his fists. Bright lights shone but his eyes did not hurt. In fact words appeared small lines of text flew across his vision. He tried to blink away the hallucinations but all that happened was that everything suddenly shifted to a blue colour. Then red. Then green. Before it all returned to normal.

"Ah you're awake. Don't try to talk yet we're still adjusting the prosthesis for your vocal chords. You've been in intensive care for six months now I'm afraid that resistance group are all convinced you were dead. They've shifted their location so we couldn't even contact them now. Actually by every definition known to conventional medical science you were dead."

"Mrrrr"

"Ah yes." The masked figure of Death moved a mirror close to the bedside. The pained warrior turned his head. All that looked back at him was a face covered completely in bandages. "Much of your skin was burnt off we grafted replacements from the parts of your body we deemed unsalvageable. Your face was also very damaged. Bone structure cracked and shifted. I'm afraid you will look rather different." Death turned to a panel next to them. "Ah it should be synchronised now. Try talking."

"Where am I?" His voice sounded strange deeper and more resonant.

"In the cybernetic lab of the Hidden city."

He looked again at his hands that were not hands. "How much of me?"

"Both legs, both arms gone. Your heart has been replaced with a mechanical one. Your spinal column was severely damaged so we replaced the bone with metal implants and cable. Your ribcage. Both eyes and your jawbone. Much of the abdominal muscle tissue. Your throat was also severely torn as you've noticed. We had to replace your kidneys as well as your right lung with donor organs. What remains of your organic muscle has been interwoven with Myomer cable. You are now significantly taller then you were before.

The man looked again at the metal arm flexing its hands while an orderly removed the bandages on his face. Cold it felt so cold.

**Area 11, Kolnsho Ghetto. 2017 A.T.B**

In an abandoned train station Kallen stood by her mother as she was loaded onto an impromptu ambulance for transport to a hospital controlled by Shinigami. War had volunteered to act as her escort to wherever it was she was going. She'd almost snapped when they told Kallen that they could not say where they were taking her. But the only other choice was to take her to a public hospital where she would face imprisonment the moment she was cured. If she ever was.

Jin was a new recruit who had become the black knights doctor. The tall man rubbed at his shaven skull as he explained the situation to Kallen. "She's suffered some damage as a side effect of the refrain. It could take some time to repair. We're not certain how complete her perception of the world around her is."

Kallen looked at the strange tableau. War stood beside her his metal hand on the shoulder of the woman lying trapped in her past.

"You'll take care of her?"

The deep voice of war rumbled through the air. "Yes she will receive the best care possible. We will send regular updates and you can have video calls with her until of course your classification level is raised. Then you can meet her in person." War rested his massive metal fist on top of Kallen's. "We take care of our own Kallen Kouzuki."

Kallen wrapped her hand around her mothers. "They say it will be while before you're better. Years." Tears leaked at the corner of her eyes. "But don't you worry I'm going to work so that when you are better you and I can live a normal life together."

Her mother didn't look at her, didn't change her expression but she said faintly. "I'm here don't give up hope Kallen, Naoto."

"I won't. Goodbye mother."

She nodded at War who took his place on the back of the vehicle with Kallen's mother. Slowly the vehicle drove off into the darkness.

The Reaper and War

**Area 11, The Hidden City, Cybernetic medical bay, 2013 A.T.B **

"I knew the operative you were with on that operation. I know you were friends. We both had great faith in your abilities he actually recommended you for direct promotion to a soldier of the first tier instead of being brought in on the second.

"Had?"

"He did not survive. He chose to save you because he used his torpor injection on you before the blast hit. I trusted his judgement in all things. And in this I will follow that. By your very presence here you have become an operative of the first tier. Soon you will understand all that it means. When your understanding is complete I will ask if you will take up his mantle.

"His mantle?"

The figure removed the last of the bandages and looked at his face which had utterly changed its shape and looked so blunt as to have been carved from stone. His eyes were glowing cybernetic orbs. A glowing half circle of red light leaked from his forehead. His hair had turned shock white. He grimaced in anger. Brittania it was Brittania who had done this to him. The vision before him filled with thoughts of his country burning, of the family who would now never recognise him of his own flesh blasted apart because of Brittanias evil. His hand clenched and the metal of the beds rail snapped.

"Naoto Kouzuki. I would have you become the rider of War."

**Area 11, Ashoboku high speed rail tunnel (decommissioned) now part of the middle road. 2017 A.T.B **

In the back of a battered truck moving along a dilapidated train tunnel an armoured giant sat next to a sleeping woman gently running a metal hand over the head of his mother. If he still had human eyes he might have wept.

**Authors note**

Derain: HAHAHAHAHAH I told you he wasn't a made up character heheheh. Yes I brought Naoto back as WAR the ultra violent cyborg. With a will of steel. And pretty much everything else of steel as well. Of course he has undergone a personality shift from who he was before since so much of his body has been blasted off.

Lelouch: Yeah I don't think any of the readership saw that coming.

Derain: Yes for I am the master of misdirection. Remember I didn't fib to anyone. War was much closer to Naoto then Death because he _is_ Naoto. Yes he probably blames himself more for what happened then Death does. And Naoto did indeed 'die' legally, mentally and medically considering he was placed in a state of near death and most of his body is now fertilizer anyway.

Luthur: I think the other characters are going to be pretty shocked when they figure out the truth.

Derain: Code Geass would not be complete without some off the shelf revelations that completely upend your view of people. Since this is fanfiction I just have to create some new ones to keep you all guessing. And more awesome fight sequences like Kallen taking on a knightmare with a sword hahaha.

Luthur: Hmm Viletta is starting to look into things best left undisturbed. I may soon have to deal with her.

Derain: We shall see. The thing about fanfiction is that before you change something you must understand why it exists.

Suzaku: Still launching all these vigilante attacks against criminals all the while secretly making deals with others. Is it not hypocritical?

Derain: Let he who is without bullshit cast the first stone. They're all labelled as criminals and terrorists anyway. If they get worried at all it's about interpretations of morality not legality. Even criminals can be patriotic. A lot of their criminal enterprises are going to become official parts of the Japanese intelligence agency. When they get around to officially announcing there is one.

One more thing in the bible there IS NO horseman named pestilence. The horseman is CONQUEST who rides forth in glory with his bow and crown. It just keeps pissing me off that most people think he's the sick guy. I mean Darksiders is awesome but I was really hoping they'd bring out conquest in the later games. But no we got two different horsemen Fury and Strife. Not that I don't mind the characters they look cool But come on lets give the only stylish rider of the apocalypse some recognition here.

Luthur: That's right but how come the lasers are invisible?

Derain: I never said they had to fire beams in the visible spectrum now did I? Although to be fair the large scale weapons will probably be the standard red beam of death. If of course they can make one that doesn't explode.

Lelouch: On the subject of explosions.

Derain: Look there is no reason lasers would ever work the way they are shown in sci fi. In most things you just see them burn neat holes in people. While that may be what they do to armour, the effect of the liquids in a human body being superheated into steam in a microsecond by an energy beam would be far more explosive.

Luthur: On the subject of boom, lets have a hands up for my EXTREME training methods.

Kallen: Yeah I get it. You really are an awesome and terrifying teacher when you go all out.

Luthur: All out? I haven't even gotten to using the flamethrowers yet. On the subject of flamethrowers. Redactatron could you scan Suzaku for me.

Redactatron: Yes sir. I am detecting high levels of hypocritical bullshit.

KRAKAKBOOM Brannoth smashes through an open window and lifts up a magnificently sculpted flamethrower with a dragon head nozzle.

BRANNOTH: BURN YOU WHINING HYPOCRITICAL MOLE RAT, BURN.

Suzaku: Ahghh it burns it burns. Arrghhh.

Derain: In addition to a list of the various ways Suzaku sucks Brannoth has a list of all the ways he wants to smite Suzaku. I think that was option number seventy one.

Suzaku: Arghhh. Arrghhhh.

Derain: Redactatron could you extinguish him so I won't have to listen to the screaming?

Redactatron: Activating extinguishing devices.

Derain: Now we can focus on what is coming up. Specifically the Battle of Narita. WHERE THERE WILL BE LEVELS OF HIGH TECH DESTRUCTION SUFFICIENT TO MAKE ANGELS WEEP.

KABLAM all the glass in the remaining windows shatters

Lelouch: What was that?

Derain: The sonic boom of a weapon being test fired. I knew it should have been done further away.

Kallen: Just how much destruction is going to happen in the Battle of Narita?

Derain: Whoever said I was limiting the destruction to Narita?


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimatron online - I own nothing except my own imagination. Now on with the story.

Chapter 18

_Those who fail go to battle and try to achieve victory. Those who win achieve victory and then go to do battle. _

The Devil, The reaper and the Witch

**Area 11, Ashford Academy, 2017 ATB**

It was nighttime at Ashford academy and in the dim light of the swimming pool a green haired woman looked up at the full moon. Then she leapt from a diving board.

Lelouch sat at his laptop accessing the files on potential recruits to his new terrorist organisation. Of course any one who looked at the screen would see nothing but lines of scrolling text concerning Brittania's founding. Only the special glasses he wore on his face filtered out the actual computer image he was looking at.

"Isn't it wonderful how the number of recruits keeps growing."

"It helps that many who are joining us have been operating under our control all this time anyway even if only the group's leadership ever knew about it."

Lelouch grinned as one of the profiles showed a recruit who had never before taken part in any anti Brittanian activity.

"Others that might have resisted are joining up because of their belief in our morality. As a whole the Japanese support our cause. They don't report our activities which is a huge help. The Japanese just needed a single symbol. A good buzz word and off they go. In fact the Lady Kami is so pleased with our efforts, that's she's confirmed that Kyoto will give us some knightmares.

"She's also been gatecrashing some of your operations hasn't she?"

"I wouldn't call it that. Certainly she is a very good shot."

"She also sees right through you."

"I don't know what you're talking about.

"Oh please I used to think I was the original master of riling you up. But she's got me beat. That mask may block facial expression but I can tell when she gets to you. So can she." Lelouch grimaced as his memories of their last encounter entered his mind.

The Black knight burst into the room to bring justice upon the criminals. Who were already dead. Every single man in the room was lying dead in some case stuck to the wall by large arrows. Their main target was sitting against the wall with two arrows through his eye sockets. At the end of the table was the lady Kami in her combat gear. She had removed her mask but had replaced it with her veil and appeared to be carefully sipping from a glass of wine. "Well what took you so long?"

Lelouch's thoughts came back to the present.

"Actually I'm not completely sure it's for my benefit. She understands the use of theatricality as much as me in winning peoples hearts and minds. She had a semi urban legend reputation before but now she is quickly becoming infamous as a vigilante for the oppressed much like us."

"Hence the knights for justice act."

"Indeed." He narrowed his eyes at the next face on the recruit roster._ A Brittanian Journalist? Too confident to be a spy. Perhaps an extremist?_ "Well everyone needs a hero and what better hero than a knight?"

Lelouch kept his gaze focused on the computer screen as C.C emerged from the water. "I wonder if a real knight would say that?"

"I find I don't particularly care." Lelouch nodded as she walked down the end of the room towards the diving platform again. He subvocalised into a tiny implant in his jaw. This allowed him to communicate with Luthur without typing in the air or speaking at a level anyone could easily detect. It still made his mouth itch though.

"Show me your data Luthur." Recordings appeared taken from ravens, hidden cameras in the residence and even a cybernetically enhanced rat. All of them were of the green haired woman. Many had been taken at the house they shared with Nunnally. One showed her in a safehouse in Saitama before she donned the zero disguise. The last one showed her at the raid on the refrain warehouse standing out of sight atop several cargo containers. They all showed C.C having a conversation with empty air. Yet she angled her head and spoke as if there was an invisible person standing in the room with her every time. He narrowed his eyes at one of the witch's statements. "Don't be absurd to me he's simply a…" then her lips continued to move but she made no sound.

"Did you detect anything?" A faint splash indicated that C.C had dived again in her borrowed Ashford academy swimsuit.

"Nothing my Lord. No radio, laser, microwave, infrasound or any other method of communication. I will also clearly state that there is no one else in the room using visual camouflage either. No thermal signature. In all the times she was in our home the pressure sensors did not pick up the weight of an additional person standing where her head indicated or any where else in the room."

"From what I read from Clovis's tests of her immortality she has indeed endured a great deal of physical and mental trauma. The earliest historical reference they had for her was a photo dating back to the European war of 1925. Depending on how old she is she may have 'died' more times than I can imagine. I described all of her behaviour patterns to one of our psychiatrists.

"And?"

"He immediately diagnosed her as being a functional sufferer of Lazarus syndrome right down to the curious obsession with eating pizza. So it is possible that our 'ally' is experiencing a split personality which manifests as a visual hallucination that she talks too. She wouldn't be the first to work for us though."

"Well yes personally I have always felt that Professor Cidaea's work was improved by a dual personality that was less squeamish about necessary scientific procedures."

"Yes but there is another possibility. That she is somehow communicating with another person through other means."

"Before meeting her I would have been sceptical of this but are you suggesting the possibility of telepathy?"

"Yes. I heard her voice when I first touched the container and you remember the conversation we had when she had been shot in the head."

"True but both cases were in physical contact or immediate proximity. If she could really read minds she would have noticed when I was contemplating decapitating her as a possible security threat. If that is true then we are screwed regardless if you have this conversation while she's in the room or not. If need be we can immobilise her in a sealed container and pump out any oxygen. I don't care if she is immortal without oxygen going to the brain she will fall unconscious. Of course we'd also be cutting ourselves off from possibly vital information regarding the power."

"The witch understands one of the first principles. Knowledge is power. Thus she holds what power she has close to her. She knows more about this Geass then she reveals to us." C.C was by this point holding her breath on the bottom of the pool.

"I agree. Especially about mine. She experiences discomfort when looking at my arm and when I confronted her on the subject she lied extremely well. I had a high grade retinal and bio scan trained on her at the time to detect the minute reactions of a lie. Even with all that it was barely noticeable. She has mastered impassivity. But my investigations into possible past references to it have turned up something."

"Oh?"

"Yes there is an old Japanese folktale concerning this."

"This isn't another of those ludicrous myths about the bandit, the swordsman and the noodle waitress wandering Japan to find the samurai who smelt of sunflowers is it?"

"The Champloo chronicles are not myths. They were real people and many of their actions are confirmed through historical sources and archaeological evidence." There was a pause as Luthur caught his breath. C.C looked across the pool and wondered what on that screen was making Lelouch smile that much. "But no this is set in an earlier time. It's actually more of a horror story about a boy with a demonic arm who accompanied by a Portuguese Jesuit and a Brittanian knight travelled through the land devouring peoples souls. I'm looking for some further confirmation on the subject. In the meanwhile if we assume she is a spy then she has learnt of our greatest vulnerability."

"Nunnally." The witch was simply swimming around the pool now as Lelouch's face grimaced.

"Possibly one of our deepest secrets. If someone wanted to utterly devastate you threatening or killing Nunnally would be the way to do it. If she were to betray us capturing Nunnally would be a very effective way of stopping us. Of course one of the best ways to prompt her into such an action would be to reveal just how aware we are of her 'conversations.'"

"Unless she simply acted like she was crazy clammed up and continued talking to this mystery person non verbally. If it is telepathy I don't see why she would bother speaking out loud anyway."

"Yes. If she were simply passing on information, the damage with Nunnally's identity and location has already been done. On the operational side she does not know much more than Ohgi's group. She knows we command a large economic organisation but not many of the details. She knows I command mercenaries. She knows about the underground base below Ashford or rather our private section of it. So she certainly has seen hints of our advanced technology. In all honesty even if we hide the middle road from her she's going to figure out we're using some kind of clandestine transport network. But she does not know who I really am and we haven't told her what Sayoko's real job is either."

"Certainly we are not going to be taking her to the conclave, the hidden city or any other part of the deep roads. Especially since we went to so much trouble to hide her existence from the conclave in the first place. But if she is possibly spying on us we could feed her false information she would have no way of confirming as long as we kept her on a tier 3 security clearance but pretended it was higher."

"I concur lord zero until we know one way or the other that would be the most effective course. I would recommend that we ensure she is never alone with Nunnally unsupervised. I believe that we should increase her non visible security and make preparations to immediately transfer her to a safe house if it comes to that. If C.C does betray us then there are other ways to extract the information from her. I am not referring to anything so crude as mere physical torment of course."

Lelouch felt again the chill as he contemplated Luthur's words. Yet the thought of harm being brought to Nunnally made his heart even colder. In Luthur's world mercy was not something that was applied to traitors. What Luthur was referring to was not pain. It was that which would make the sufferer long for something as sweet as pain.

"Yes if she does betray us you may do as you will."

"Excellent."

"On other matters I think its time you dragged me along on one of your business trips."

"Really?"

"I may need to be away for a time. I intend to go with you to the hidden city in person so as to make the final preparations for the Narita offensive. I will be gone for at least a week."

"Do you still intend to bring your special guest?"

"Yes of course she has agreed. She'll get the standard blindfold in a hidden car routine."

"Well it's not like we're going to let her realise just how large the City really is."

"No, besides she represents a link to the houses of Kyoto. She is possibly our only chance of finally being in a position where we may learn of Kiriharas role in Genbu's death."

"Of course. I would be willing to risk far more than this for a chance to finally ask some pointed questions of him. Thank you milord."

The Burned and the Fan

**Area 11, Brittanian settlement. BNN news building, the storeroom. **

In a dingy storeroom at the back of a broadcasting building Viletta Nu and Lord Kewell were having a terse conversation with a recently demoted news journalist.

"Yes I was demoted from my position in much the same way you were."

Viletta and lord Kewell both looked sour. It was at Jeremiahs suggestion that they had come here to talk to the disgraced newsman. Viletta suppressed a scowl that Jeremiah hadn't come himself. The former margrave was not in such dire straights, unlike themselves he could still claw his way back up the ranks from his position as a harrier commander without wasting time chasing ghosts. Still perhaps that was unfair. Cornelia had the harrier team running up and down the country as she crushed the various resistance groups one by one. It wasn't like Jeremiah had the luxury of time and any evidence that he turned up in regards to 'mind control' could be seen as prejudicial since it was to clear his own name.

"We have no intention of letting it end this way and we don't think you do either."

"Who can say."

"We have a lead that might help us find Zero."

"We want you to look into some students at the Ashford Academy. We'll be away in the Narita mountains for a few weeks so we'll be out of touch."

"Narita Mountains? Isn't that where the headquarters of the JLF are rumoured to be located?"

"You're smarter than you look."

"You underestimate me."

The Devil and the Smith

**Area 11, The Deep Roads, Hephaestus Base.**

His helmet visor shone red in reflection of the fires burning below and his cloak billowed in the updrafts of heated air. Standing upon an extended metal platform Lord Zero looked out upon an industrial hell. Rivers of molten metal passed out of large spherical smelting chambers and flowed into hyper gravity forges. Other pieces of glowing alloy were lowered into vats of catalytic chemicals producing acrid vapour clouds. Gigantic extractor fans on the ceiling sucked away everpresent fumes of smoke. Automated robotic arms lifted flash forged pieces of alloy and placed them onto conveyor belts.

Wherever you looked there was some kind of movement. There a trio of masked workers manipulated a crane holding raw metal stock. In another place a dozen menials hauled a wheeled cart out of the way of a truck loaded with artillery pieces. Some men moved with frantic energy while others shambled forwards as if half dead. There were rows of thumping pistons and pounding compressors. Small crab like robots moved to and fro with objects clamped in their pincers and other stranger figures could be seen in the twisting fumes and heat distortion. Things that moved with fluid action but had too many limbs.

But for all its appearance of chaos, there was in fact an underlying order in all these actions enforced by the overseers and the augmented reality of the factory's datasphere. Overlaying the foundry, a tide of information and holographic data columns rose and fell. To Zero it was like he was looking upon the manifestation of the manufactoriums very soul.  
There were many chambers beyond this one. Cleaner and more tidy looking if no less noisy. Where the raw materials and basic components were assembled into complete weapons, vehicles and other things. This was his favourite location because however much his scientists talked it was here that the weapons of war were forged and it was the man standing beside him who painstakingly oversaw that process. The platform began to move on a heavy rail as they travelled to another part of the compound. He turned his head to look at the Forgemaster. He too was wearing power armour although it had been customised for work in the forge. Multi jointed servo arms extended from a backpack like an insects extra limbs. The ends of the robo limbs festooned with welders, grasping claws and all manner of engineering tools. More such devices hung from a harness bound around the chest plate and legs. The plating had been thickened all over and was painted a deep red. The helmet was covered with a grill of vertical slits made from slightly luminescent glass. It made the man's whole head look like a furnace.

"So you've solved the fracturing problem?"

"Yes and no. We decided that we needed a completely different material to make the weapon functional."

"I was told that your more recent efforts had improved the survivability of the lensing mechanism."

"Yes sir but it was clear that for now we have reached the point of diminishing returns. Since the Gravitic lensing process is only logistically feasible in the Graser weapons we decided we needed a different approach."

"Thus the new material."

"Yes sir red mercury transformed into an electroconductive translucent crystalline substance. We're calling it bloodstone." At this point the platform stopped. They were looking at a gigantic metal cylinder that reached up to the ceiling a crack opened in the side facing them and metal doors pulled back to reveal a 50 centimeter thick transparent wall. Inside the chamber was a large metal sphere the height of a knightmare with cables plugged into it. A circle opened on the top. An automated voice came out. "FORGING COMPLETE. ITEM IS CURRENTLY RADIOACTIVE. NO UNSHIELDED PERSONEL TO APPROACH WITHIN TWENTY METERS OF FORGE ."

Rising out of the sphere was a crystal the colour of blood and easily the height of a man. Robots that resembled giant copper crabs sidestepped towards the stone before grasping it in their delicate pincers and carrying it away. Zero turned his attention back towards the Forgemaster. "In order to stand up to repeated usage we have to artificially form the initial material in a grav compression forge mixed with carbon. Then cast it in a high intensity rad furnace to complete the crystallisation effect. Then we let it cool and start shaping it. It takes twenty two days from start to finish and if the process fails at any point we have to start again. We will make multiple small scale forges and then begin production en mass. It does use up sakuradite but at only an eighth of the amount we'd need if we wanted to build G-Lensers."

"How long until you've built the facilities to do this?"

"Three months at the outset and we can begin mass production one month after that."

"This does not solve the immediate problem."

"I know my lord and we've developed a stop gap solution. We've altered the standard lenses using the improved methods and stacked them five deep next to the main cannon along with an extra loading mechanism in the focusing chamber. Each lens will be good for twenty shots if there is a delay of 18.5 seconds between firing. If the firing rate increases ten to twelve is more likely. When the lens reaches fracture point the weapon locks itself then the auto system ejects it and replaces it with the next in line. We can grind down the broken lenses for raw materials later. Its slow reloading however the weapon will have to reseal the focusing chamber every time but it will work. The most effective use of them for the moment would be in an Anti Air role by adding them to the armament of the Riflemans and the Widower platforms."

"Will you provide enough for the Narita offensive?"

"Yes sir I've gone over the equipment requests. We've what we've already got in stockpile there will be enough to equip your entire force as well as all the other strike groups."

The Devil and his Reaper

**The Hidden city, Sector IV, The Realm of Death 2017 ATB**

The Realm of Death as it was called by so many was certainly dark. In reality it referred to the connected labs, automated workshops, training rooms and of course Deaths personal quarters. It was here amongst the ornate wall hangings and beautifully polished wooden furniture that Lelouch gazed upon one of his brother's obsessions.

Lelouch was quite used to Luthur's unusual décor (Just how many bone motifs does a man really need anyway?) Yet the sight that covered an entire wall of Luthur's personal chamber made him wonder yet again if the Shinigami was just a little bit overly theatrical.

For a man who used holographic imagery so much, the wall of conspiracy was a flagrant indulgence in anachronism. It was a massive corkboard festooned with photographs of people and locations. Newspaper articles, lists of the dead, autopsy reports, mathematical calculations, building schematics and even the preserved body of a dead parrot. All of it connected together in a convoluted web of multicoloured twine that made sense only to the one who'd put it together. At the centre was a photograph of the last Prime Minister of Japan Genbu Kururugi. Just as Lelouch was determined to discover the identity of his mothers killers so was Luthur utterly dedicated to discerning the names of those who killed Genbu. In a sense he had even greater reason to learn the truth. Genbu had not simply been killed, his very name and reputation had been dragged into the mud labelled as the man who doomed Japan.

Luthur stood before that wall his mask placed on a sidetable his back to Lelouch. The young prince could see the tension in his brother.

"A penny for your thoughts big brother?"

Luthur didn't turn around. "I'm wondering how long a man can spend chasing shadows before he forgets what sunlight is." His voice sounded tired like a man who has no idea how far he has yet to walk. "Seven years. We've come closer I feel it. Yet even now so much is conjecture. They say the truth hurts but I doubt it will hurt worse than these seven years of frustrating ignorance."

"If my plans proceed then we may at long last learn the truth, it's a risk I know but no one ever wins without risking anything."

"I agree with you bringing her here because I think you are right it will bring us closer to a major player in the web of intrigue."

It had taken a considerable amount of time but they had managed to achieve confirmation on the identity of three of the leaders of the six houses of Kyoto. This had allowed them to occasionally bug the meetings of the houses when they met in session. (Literally they had attached micro transmitters to remote controlled cockroaches and snuck them into the walls.) It was by doing this that they knew that the Lady Kami had kept her word when they had revealed the existence of the Nobuseri technology to her. She hadn't told the rest of the leadership. So it was time that they took a larger gamble. While a great deal of what went on in the Houses of Kyoto remained a mystery they had gleaned that there was a dispute of some sort going on and that the leader of one faction was the Lady Kami and that the other was Taizo Kirihara

Kirihara the leader of the six houses of Kyoto, the man who supported the Kururugi regime as one of the big four, became a Brittanian collaborator and was a suspect in the Prime ministers murder as shown by his large presence on Luthur's wall of conspiracy.

Luthur looked thoughtfully at the documents and stringlines attached to Kirihara's photo.

"This man's got so many layers of deception he could be one of us. What drives him I wonder? Guilt perhaps over where the economic and foreign policies he and his compatriots encouraged got Japan in the end." Ever since the Imperial family had been reduced to a figurehead role it had been an open secret that the major industrial plutocrats had wielded an inordinate influence on government. Their wealth and connections had allowed them to support or sabotage the campaigns of any politician who wasn't prepared to maintain Japanese economic supremacy.

They had dictated a foreign economic policy that benefited their industrial conglomerates especially in regards to sakuradite export. It had also had the effect of making Japan disliked by many of the nations who they took advantage of including China. Unlike some of his predecessors Genbu Kururugi had refused to be their puppet, the big four had never interfered with the running of the nation or any part of domestic policy. The elder Kururugi had had a far more realistic view of where their arrogance would get Japan and had made preparations. In a sense their single minded focus on trade had worked to Genbu's advantage since they had zero interest in just what he was doing with a great deal of the military budget. But although he had curtailed and limited their influence he couldn't have completely stopped the mercantilist dominated foreign policy they endorsed. Not without having them become open enemies of his administration and replacing him with one who really would be their puppet. "Or perhaps it is deeper than that. Perhaps he was more directly involved in Genbu's death."

"We know that he concealed the Prime Ministers murder for two days. That could have been to forestall panic." The fact that an industrialist with no official rank in the executive branch of government was able to do that was proof of just how deep an influence he had possessed. After wringing the truth from a refrain addled ruin of a man in Nagasaki they had learned it had been Kirihara who had pressured Genbu's speechwriter to compose a suicide note _after_ Genbu's death. It had been a major breakthrough in the investigation after so many of Luthur's leads had ended in dead ends or dead bodies.

Actually it was one of the things that had made Lelouch admire Genbu. Considering everything he had been up against in just trying to actually run his country it was amazing that he had gotten anything done. Let alone the construction of the hidden city.

Luthur's voice broke into his ruminations. "Well in the past seven years there has been no way to get to him to know for certain. We could have assassinated him easily. Hell we could have kidnapped him but there would be no way we could let him go afterwards regardless if he did it or not. In his physical condition such an interrogation would require less strenuous methods and that would have taken time. His disappearance would have attracted too much attention."

"True. Still if he is a traitor getting the support of his opposition in the houses leadership would be a boon. In fact her rivalry with him would encourage her to conceal the full extent of our abilities if she wished to cultivate the relationship with us for as long as possible. She has proven to be a very capable woman and I get the feeling in our conversations that some of her compatriots don't like it very much."

"Her capability is undeniable. She has already passed the basic training for piloting or coordinating your personal Nobuseri. I'll be honest I consider that more of a security risk than taking her to the city. All she'll be allowed to see in there is the inside of a large warehouse. Now she has an understanding of our hardware and she's going to be right there in the cockpit with you."

"It is the only way. Her presence at Narita will allow us to co-ordinate with the JLF forces after we reveal ourselves of course. In fact being involved on such a scale will bring her squarely into our camp. Once the houses of Kyoto begin to get an idea of just what they are dealing with she will be firmly established as the liason between our organisations. It won't be a case of her supporting a single resistance group. It will be a case of her having a close inside relationship with an organisation that is the equal if not superior of the houses. Of course we won't let them realise just how superior. Not yet. The degree of influence and power that will give her within the Houses will certainly make her grateful to us."

"And of course to you personally."

"Well yes that goes without saying." Lelouch felt a little puzzled at the way Luthur had phrased that. "I know that this is a risk but it is one I believe is worth it. I have a hunch."

Luthur snorted in derision. "There is so such thing as a hunch. It is merely your subconscious mind prodding you towards a realisation that you haven't consciously made. Although I will allow that your subconscious mind has not let us wrong so far. Mind you, even it misses some things that are obvious to others."

Lelouch sensed he was being teased but could not figure out how. He changed the subject. "And has your subconscious mind figured out who she is?"

"We have not confirmed Lady Kami's identity. Like you she uses a voice modulator and I suspect that parts of that leather combat armour she wears are meant to conceal the real shape of her body. Still we have shortened the list of possible suspects down to fifty." This time a series of dossiers popped up showing the wives of some of Japans industrialists, Businesswomen who had managed to retain some fragment of influence, Surviving members of the former government who had not fled into exile former military officers and even.

"Wait Kaguya Sumeragi?"

Lelouch felt his heart skip as he was transported into memory.

He and Kaguya sat by a window. Outside the wind flung leaves against the glass. They were playing chess and for the third time they had tied. He sighed as he tilted his head. "It looks like we're stuck again."

Kaguya smiled back at him. "Oh well I suppose we'll have to play another game."

Lelouch grimaced again. He'd picked chess, thinking that she was new to the game. Of course he now saw that her vapid questions as to what chess was had been a lure to deceive him. It was actually frightening how close she'd come to trapping him in all three games in most cases his only option to avoid defeat was to resort to moves that wiped out both sides pieces. Unfortunately if he conceded she got to pick the next game. "Alright what do you suggest Lady Kaguya?"

She smiled "Well for a start drop the lady's Lelouch. In fact I think we should attach a prize to the winner to make it more interesting. Whoever wins can make one request of the loser."

Lelouch's eyes narrowed. She may have stalled him in chess but he was confident he could beat her in any game that required a degree of strategic thinking. "What game?"

"Ever played Poker?"

Zero shook his head slightly so as to avoid remembering his embarrassing loss. "Why is she a suspect?"

"Since the day she came of age and inherited her family's holdings. Or what was left of them. As one of the leaders of the political body that handles Japans industry she has been seen often in the company of suspected members of the houses. In truth I think her unlikely. The only reason she even wound up on the list is because I had to ditch some of my previous suspects on the basis that they are not in good enough physical shape to be using a bow the way Kami does."

"Yes well I must meet with the Lady now she should be having the blindfold removed soon so I can show one of the ways we keep up morale down here."

"Yes my lord I will go and speak with Dr Cidaea. We will be using many of her creations in Narita as well as two other strike points. Enjoy the game I've got to rustle up some monsters."

The Reaper and the Mother of Monsters

**Area 11, The Hidden City, Sector III. 2017 ATB**

The terrible sounds of clashing metal and roaring beasts echoed up from one of the pits around the chamber. In a holding tank a vaguely canine shape the size of a St Bernard floated. It was hard to see clearly through the thick green liquid. It was festooned with tubes and cables metal gleamed in many places where flesh should be. Every now and then one of its limbs twitched slightly.

Death tilted his head at a sound reminiscent of icepicks on glass came behind him. He turned around. There standing before him was a woman. She wore a tight fitting shirt had black hair and an elaborate pair of multi lensed goggles over her eyes. Her right arm was encased in a metallic frame that ended in a hand with surgical scalpels and injector needles coming from the fingertips. Her lower body was encased in a large scale prosthetic that resembled a giant spider's abdomen with eight metal legs propelling her across the floor. Of course the unconventional replacement for her severed legs was the least odd thing about her.

"Hello Doctor Cidaea. I just thought I'd see how we were coming along with the Widowers."

"I've finished refining the targeting parameters in the back weapons. The pack mentality and guidance programs have also been de bugged. Plus I've refined the adrenal shunt for the organic components to put less stress on the brain." Then she tilted her head to the side her face twisted into a white toothed smile and her voice shifted to a deeper more guttural tone. "Of course now they'll actually try eating any bodies they come across. Increased efficiency in targeting when they 'feel' that they've been fed. Little darlings that they are."

Dr Cidaea or Professor Emmy depending on when you were talking to her was one of the more eccentric of Luthur's science team. Unlike most of her compatriots she focused on the use of animal machine hybridisation. She was also clinically insane since she had a split personality. Of course since both sides of her mind were extremely competent at their job and had no problems talking to each other it only made her more of a resource not less. Although he had to admit there were times when the logic behind some of 'Emmys' contributions escaped him. That thing with the hyper aggressive killer rabbit. Lethal yes but totally uncontrollable as well. They'd had to kill it with hand grenades that had been blessed by a military chaplain. Referring to the Widower mobile gun platforms as 'little darlings' was another example of her _unique_ perspective.

"Indeed. At the moment I will be needing you to bring at least two hundred Renders out of stasis."

"Well it's about time. The last occasion you let me use so many of them was in New Guinea over three years ago."

"We've been over this before. If we sink a ship or crash an airplane we can clean up any troublesome evidence afterwards. But when we let loose your pets on infantry the results are spectacularly messy. Dr Shoto's creations are more suited to stealth operations your's are suited to mass mayhem. That base in New Guinea was chosen because of our ability to just let the jungle scavengers do most of the clean up work for us. Still the time for secrecy is ended. It's high time I think that we tested their effectiveness as terror weapons when we don't hide the bodies." As if to punctuate his words a snarling cry of hunger echoed up from one of the other holding pits.

The Devil and the Lady

**Area 11, The Hidden City. Storage Sector I-2**

Lady Kami was watching a soccer game. Of all the things she had imagined seeing when Zero had agreed to offer her a chance to glimpse the true scope of his clandestine operations she had not expected this. She had agreed on her sworn word not to reveal what he was going to show her to the rest of the houses. She had been placed in a black car with closed windows. They seemed to have driven for hours. When they were to exit the car she had been blindfolded and the blindfold had only been removed when she had found herself in a windowless carriage of some sort. The next time she had been able to see clearly was when she'd been guided to this viewing box overlooking an impromptu soccer stadium. It was clear that it was in fact some kind of mammoth storage hanger although for what it was impossible to say. Stands had been set up around three inner walls while the fourth wall consisted of a pair of enormous bay doors. She reckoned that there was easily 8000 people watching the match. She stood in a private box besides Zero. They were in the final ten minutes of the soccer match and she finally decided to speak.

"Why the game?"

"Morale. Many of these people on the stands are workers, engineers, support staff even food production. Any organisation needs people to feed the troops and build the guns as much as fight. Due to the secrecy and isolation of our support operations they don't get out much. They need to be reminded now and then that there is more to life then the great war that looms before us. There are many methods we use so that they can feel like they are citizens and not just bandits hiding down a mine shaft."

"Like soccer games?"

"Exactly. Right now it's the tunnel dogs from Habaka versus the tin soldiers from district 8."

"I see." Of course what was going through her mind was the fact that if all these people weren't even soldiers how many troops did Zero actually have and how was he concealing them? That was assuming this was all he was showing her. Which it probably wasn't. The whole act of blindfolding her emphasised that there was more he wasn't showing her. Of course the fact that she was reaching the realisations he most certainly wanted her to reach both filled her admiration and made her want to kick him in the shins.

"So this was all just so I could understand that you have a lot more people than the Houses think?"

"You know me better than that."

She smiled. _Perhaps better than you realise Zero. I've got enough of your facial structure to give me a few hints as to who you are._

"Of course I do. Your invitation to join you at a large scale military operation to occur within the next two weeks coupled with this suggests something else. You want me to be established as your go-between with the houses when they finally realise how powerful you really are. You've shown me enough to imply your greater strength without giving me undeniable proof of it. So I can say with a perfectly straight face what I have seen you to possess and still keep the houses in the dark."

"Your analysis is quite correct in regards to how I wish our relationship to develop. However I do intend to show you something incredible. I believe you would not betray our confidence. I'm just not certain whether Kyoto would actually believe you if you told them."

Suddenly a horn blew signalling the end of the game. Instead of shaking each others hands however the two teams immediately moved to the side of the stadium.

Zero stepped forward and Lady Kami could feel every eye shift too him. It was like being caught in a tide at sea she realised. Without saying a word the sheer power and magnetism of his personality seemed to reach out beyond his mask and draw the attention of all.

"A good game and I thank you. Citizens of the hidden kingdom each year we come together to compete. To remind ourselves of the need for fun and enjoyment even as we struggle towards the bright future that we seek to create. To partake in such entertainment to live as proud and free people every single day is a victory against all those who would oppress us. It is part of the road we walk to usher in a new age of prosperity and advancement." He paused as his words washed over the audience. Kami watched slightly awed. It was almost hypnotic not so much the words but some indefinable quality in his voice that captured the imagination.

"But I am strengthened not simply by what we will accomplish but what we have already done. I remember that for seven years you have all laboured ceaselessly for the retaking of Japan. I remember seven years of construction, production and gruelling work. I remember that for seven years those Japanese unable to join us have lived as little more than slaves to the corrupt hypocritical greed of Brittania. I remember every day of The Holy Brittanian empire saying that Japan is dead, that it is gone beyond recovery." He raised his outstretched arms. "BUT WE ARE STILL HERE!" The stadium shook with the cheering of the crowd.

"Soon at long last the fruits of your labour shall be unleashed upon Brittania. We will deploy the most advanced and destructive armoured fighting force ever conceived by man. Across Japan our soldiers will attack the invaders with fire and steel. We will strike like lightning and vanish before our enemies even realise who is destroying them."

The crowd cheered back.

"Brothers and sisters the day which we have all awaited is upon us. Soon I will return to the outside world and set Japan ablaze from one end to the other. Before I leave you will be shown one of the mighty engines of war that all of you have contributed to and know that as it crushes our oppressors that you too partake in that victory."

The crowd began to chant. At first it was only a few but then the entire building shook with the rhythmic pounding and cries of the people. Many simply chanted the name of Zero but amongst that applause another chant aroze and soon the very air beat with its power.

"Shin Den Haas Hass. Shin Den Hass Hass. Shin Den Haas Hass"

Suddenly the floor of the storage bay split in half. The sides began to retract and rising out of the billowing smoke was something extraordinary. Lady Kami could scarcely believe her eyes, there were too many weapons. She recognised the shape but the sheer size of it was unbelievable.

The Knights

**Area 11, Black knights staging facility, 2017 ATB**

"Wow check out the hardware." The older black knights were a bit harder to impress but many of the new recruits were in awe as they looked at the row of knightmares standing against the walls of their hideout.

"What knightmares are these?"

"Burai a Japanese modification."

"This is so awesome."

"Hey what are those black ones over there?"

"Ronin's they are only for the older guys."

The old guys in questions were standing with Kallen and Zero looking up at their greatest prize. Of course that was after they'd laughed uncontrollably when Zero told them that all the Burai and Ronin's they had been given for free had been sold to the six houses of Kyoto earlier by Shinigami. For a very high price. Now their attention was focused on a red knightmare made of curved red metal plates and with a gigantic silver claw covering one arm.

"Those guys in Kyoto they believe in us."

"They sent us this, the Guren Mark 2."

"A completely Japanese made knightmare."

Kallen was wearing a simple band of glass across the eyes which showed a holographic overlay of the knightmare. Data on its abilities and statistics scrolling besides it in glowing text.

Zero's voice echoed through the room.

"Even the Ronin's are simply updated versions of the Sutherland. This is a knightmare that can compete with their most advanced models. Truly a remarkable technical accomplishment" So remarkable that he knew Luthur was almost climbing the walls in a desire to get a look at its internal schematics and part construction. But the Shinigami's scientific curiosity would have to wait.

One of the new recruits assigned to Ohgi's team spoke up. "Tamaki-San could you show us how this works."

The others chuckled as they followed Tamaki. "Newbie's what are you going to do?"

Kallen remained looking up at the Guren.

"The others are all quite pleased with the supplies. Kyoto really came through."

"Yes which means that they've accepted us. We have their support now."

"No you're wrong Kallen this is merely a test they have put to us."

"I don't understand."

The lady Kami walked out of the shadows. "The houses are funding multiple resistance groups across Japan. Your group has long been one of my personal projects. But something like this required the agreement of the majority of the six houses. I had to do a great deal of talking to convince them that you were more deserving than the JLF. That fiasco with Kusakabe helped tip the scales in your favour this time."

"But its proof that we're worthy that we've made it in."

The lady nodded her head slightly while Zero spoke. "You're an optimist. Here." He tossed a key towards Kallen. It resembled a flashdrive with an ornate feather shaped body. "The Guren is yours"

"But the Guren's superior defensive abilities. We've got a lot more people now and we can't afford to lose you." Kallen was a realist and knew full well that the loss of Zero at this point would spell doom for the movement

"I am a commander and my skillset is ranged combat. The Guren is built for agility and close combat. I shall be piloting something different. With the help of our lady Kami."

In fact" he tapped a hologram floating beside him and Kallen saw a digital image of another humanoid robot appear "You and Ohgi shall be the only other two to know our larger plan."

Kallen looked at the image floating next to the Guren Mk2 hologram. "That's not to scale is it?"

"I'm afraid it is."

"Lord Zero?" Zero turned his helmeted head as he saw Ohgi approach. With the samurai-esque infantry gear and helmet it was hard to identify people. Ohgi however wore a commander's rank insignia on his shoulder plates. A red half moon beneath the silver trident of Zero. "We've received some intel, it's a Brittanian source but I think we should check it out."

Zero opened the folder and was surprised to see he recognised the face of the informant from his earlier perusal of potential recruits. _Well, well Diethard Reid. You tell what we already knew but it does provide a useful cover as to how we know._

"We move out this weekend."

"Where are we going?"

"Hiking in the Narita Mountains."

As Ohgi and Kallen walked away Lady Kami turned her head towards Zero. "There is one thing I want to know before we proceed."

"Yes."

"That chant the workers were all doing it wasn't Japanese what was it?"

"It's a dialect from the middle east. Death taught it to the work gangs. It has a kind of rhythm to it so they chant it when they are on the job."

"What does it mean?"

Zero turned his head towards her. "We will Rise."

**Authors Notes**

Shin den Haas Haas. Shin Den Haas Haas. Shin Den Haas Haas.

Derain: Yes. Yes. All is in readiness soon the awesome power of my science will be set free. Yes hahahahahah.

Luthur: He's been like this ever since he finished playing the Starcraft 2 expansion.

Lelouch: I am afraid.

War: Afraid of what the incredible destruction I shall unleash using the REDACTED. Oh that does it, have at thee Redactatron.

Explosions and cursing ensue as War takes on the giant robot.

C.C: Wow you were spying on me from the beginning.

Luthur: Of course we were spying on you. We've been running an ultra secret military/ criminal conspiracy for seven years. And I was involved in secret military science projects in hidden bases five years before that. High levels of paranoia are a job requirement. You'd better hope none of the things you aren't telling us come back to bite us on the arse or I'm getting out the medical lasers.

Lady Kami: Well so you're finally starting to admit we're in a relationship?

Lelouch: Well it's strictly business of course.

Luthur: Good grief it's like watching a blind man standing in front of a train.

Lady Kami: Seriously though a soccer game?

Lelouch: Hey any army needs a support staff. What about all those women making bullets in factories during World War 2? I think that being the charismatic leader that I am I would make a point of trying to keep them happy. Plus it gives me a big crowd to unleash my inspiring oratory on.

Luthur: Yeah his speeches are better at that. Mine are more on the order of "we will drown our enemies in a sea of blood". Unless I'm trying to inspire scientists in which case no on other then them can understand me.

Kallen: That wall of conspiracy is pretty strange.

Lelouch: Yes Luthur has spent ages trying to figure out what happened. Of course the truth can often tend to be far simpler and horrible than whatever scenarios we create in our own minds.

Kallen: Simple and horrible? What about twisted monsters created by insane spider cyborg women? Just how mad is this science?

Derain: It is not madness only Genius. Genius I say!

Zero: We will rise.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

_When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come and see!" Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To him was given a large sword. **Revelations **_

The Beloved

**Area 11, Ashford Academy.**

Nunnally sat up in her bed as Sayoko brought her breakfast.

"Sayoko you won't need to make breakfast for my brother he's gone away on a three day camping trip."

Sayoko smiled sweetly at her young charge. "I see your brother has been going away a lot lately, maybe it's a girlfriend?"

Nunnally raised one hand to her chin in thought. She recalled the voice of C.C "Maybe it is."

The Knights

**Area 11, Narita Mountains near Iskuo hotsprings**

They were travelling in Heavy APC's. The vehicles had the boxy hulls of the Ruin tank with Raiden sponson guns and a manned machine gun turret on top. The back of the vehicle was a heavy door that would be dropped as an embarkation ramp so the troops could exit. Each of them was towing a large trailer with a Burai knightmare pushing at the back to hold them steady. Over twenty of the Black knights were wearing power armour some jogged alongside the vehicles and the rest rode in the trailers with the regular infantry. Trundling behind them came four tanks with Raiden sponson guns and central turrets with long barrels. Ten Ronin moved amongst them. With the Guren Mk 2 taking up the rear.

"What's with all the excavator equipment?"

Tamaki who was driving one of the front tanks spoke back to his vehicles engineer. "Maybe we're building a hot spring."

"More likely it's training only with Zero in another location."

"Hey Kallen you have any idea what's going on?"

In the back of the Guren Kallen looked away from the communicator. "No I don't."

"You Ohgi?"

"No." _Are we really going through with this Zero even after all we've done pulling this off will be …_

The Reaper

**Area 11, Narita, Hidden location south east of Central Mountain.**

Luthur knelt, the faint shadows of the camouflage net covering the reaper made twisting patterns on his back. He bowed his head and made the sign of the cross just as an army chaplain had taught an angry little boy in South Africa so long ago.

"Lord I go now to kill men. I will unleash my hatred through the weapons I wield. I will fill their hearts with fear. I will rend their bodies of life. I will pile their corpses in mountains. Lord I know that none of this pleases you for vengeance is yours and yours alone.

Know that I will deal no fate to my enemy I do not embrace to be inflicted upon me. Help me to control my hate so that I may use it achieve victory and to let it go when it is no longer needed. For when my enemies lie dead before me then there will be no point in hating them anymore. Receive the souls of my enemies into your eternal grace and forgiveness in the place where all conflicts are ended.

In the name of the father the son and the holy ghost so let it be."

Then he rose and clambered into the camo net shrouded figure of the reaper.

The Devil

**Area 11, Narita, JLF watch post**

In a small hut which a pair of JLF troopers were playing a game of checkers. One called in on his radio. "Sector five nothing to report."

His companion laughed. "Of course there is nothing to report. This whole area is controlled by the JLF. Its not like someone is going to just walk through the door."

Then a massive black armoured figure walked through the door.

Both soldiers rose in surprise "Zero?"

Don't worry soldiers I am simply here to talk, also." A hatch opened on the helmet and the red crane flew forth into their eyes. "Don't report any unusual activity during this watch."

Both men stood up and saluted. "Yes sir." The two men went back to their game. "Whose turn is it?"

"Mine."

Zero walked outside and made a transmission to a crowborgs flying overhead which relayed the all clear signal to Ohgi. _So nice of Kusakabe to tell me the most recent locations for the JLF's watchposts._ Then he accessed another part of the communication net. "Lady Kami I trust you are well?"

"Fine that transport you arranged dropped your personal kill machine up here early in the morning. I've been enjoying the hotsprings while I was waiting. Considering that we will be destroying them soon I decided not to waste the opportunity." Zero struggled for a moment as his mind unwillingly conjured an image of the Lady Kami wearing her veil and nothing else rising out of a steaming pool of water. _Ignore any distractions. Focus on the military situation. "_If only you had gotten here earlier you could have joined me." _Must focus on mission. Must ignore distracting mental images. _He altered his suits settings to lower the armours internal temperature. Then the helmets automated voice response kicked in. "Lowering internal temperature by five degrees"

"Zero are you feeling warm?"

"I'm fine see you soon." Then he shifted the computers status change alert system to text only. While doing so he saw a familiar flash of green in the periphery of his vision.

The Battle maiden and the princess

**Area 11, Narita, South west base of mountain**

A G-1 Base was designed as a mobile support structure. It acted as a moving hospital and a knightmare repair bay. The only obvious weapons it had were CIWS guns designed to protect against long range missile attack and a high powered machine gun swung just below the bridge.. The one parked near the base of the Mountain had far greater communication relays due to its role as a command post. Inside the bridge General Darlton was explaining the Brittanian plan to princess Euphemia who was now dressed in more severe and practical white clothing her pink hair tied back in a bun.

"We're certain the Japan Liberation Front forces are in this area. We've already split four battalions into seven units and hidden them in the vicinity. Once we've received the viceroy's signal we'll surround them and wipe them all out in one fell swoop.

"And you're sure that no enemies will appear outside the encirclement line?

Cornelia spoke from her throne at the back of the room "You're talking about Zero correct?"

Darlton spoke up again. "Have no fear of that. Once the operation begins we'll be blocking off the surrounding highways and mountain roads."

"Plus we have reserve units if zero's stupid enough to show up it will be the end of him."

The mischievous one

**Area 11, Brittanian Settlement, Ashford Academy, Council rooms **

Milly cried out in amazement as she heard her friends idea.

"What? You want to meet her do you know who you are talking about?"

"She's a princess and you are just a citizen what do you have in common besides the hotel jacking."

"Yes but I never got to thank her."

"There was once a time when my family name and influence could arrange such a meeting. So tell me Nina do you know how high the social status of a principles daughter is?

Not much.

No not much at all.

The Devil and the Witch

**Area 11, Narita, JLF observation post**

The green haired woman remained calm as a rather irritated military mastermind in jet black power armour approached her.

"C.C what are you doing here?"

"I said I would protect you didn't I"

"Aren't you overdoing it? Somehow I expect lady Kami might take an exception."

"Tell me Lelouch why are you Lelouch?"

"I don't have time to debate philosophy with you."

"You changed your last name to Lamperouge but kept the name Lelouch that was given to you at birth. How sentimental, you can't let go of the past."

"If you think sentimentality for the past is why I kept the name you haven't been paying enough attention. Besides you swing to the opposite extreme C.C isn't even a human name at all."

"Do you know why snow is white?" she paused while he processed this sudden shift in topic. "Snow is white because it has forgotten what colour it's supposed to be."

The Battle maiden

**Area 11, Narita, South west base of mountain**

In The G-1 Base's knightmare hangar Cornelia ran over her tactical map one more time. Then a call came in from Guilford.

"All forces are in position we await your order."

"Excellent Euphemia will provide logistical support from the G-1 Base. Have her command the medical group.

"Viceroy about."

"Guilford. Let me guess this is about Euphie."

"Yes she really should be in a government agency somewhere."

"But she's being unusually stubborn about this. She says she wants to see combat for herself."

The Pinkette princess in question was back in the G-1 Base when she noticed a different coloured IFF marker on the tactical display.

"What's that unit there holding up the rear line?"

"That's a special unit with an eleven pilot."

"What you mean that's the Lancelot?"

"Normally numbers are not allowed to use knightmares but that unit is outside the chain of command. It's under the patronage of second prince Schniezel and he said he wanted them to have as much real combat experience as possible."

The Devil the Lady and The knights

**Area 11, Narita, Summit**

When they reached the summit they found the Lady Kami waiting for them standing beside an enormous object draped in a stone coloured camouflage tarp. The black knights APC's and tanks formed a defensive perimeter while the knightmares deployed automatic excavators. The regular infantry began patrolling. Most of the soldiers were equipped with Brittanian assault rifles but a couple of officers were toting laser rifles. Sohni's power armoured soldiers stood together running final checks on their weaponry.

Zero stood looking out onto the mountain range below them while Ohgi walked up to him.

"Are we really going through with this?"

"Our enemy is Cornelia whose forces are the best in the empire. To defeat them will require unorthodox tactics. And some calculated brutality."

"The why don't we co-ordinate with the JLF."

"We will but only when they aren't in a position to do anything but what I tell them to. What's the matter Ohgi don't you believe in me anymore?"

"After all I've seen, it would be hard not to believe. Still I don't like letting the JLF take the first hit."

"Good attitude. Just because something is necessary does not mean we should enjoy it."

The lady Kami appeared behind them.

"Indeed. I am also uncomfortable with this but I have known General Katase longer than you he will not turn down an offer from zero if the other options are worse. Still." She turned towards Zero. "You have a very aggressive idea of diplomacy. Kick someone in the teeth then offer to pull them from a pit."

The Battle maiden

Inside her knightmare Cornelia's thumb played idly over the firing button for her knightmare.

"Viceroy its time. The emergency response unit as well as the shadow teams are in position."

"Very well. Commence operation." A catapult mechanism accelerated her knightmare down the launching tunnel before she leapt into the air.

"You the Japan Liberation Front." Dozens of knightmare emerged from train carriages parked in the town. "You who time has left behind." More IFF signals appeared on a monitor. "You who have forgotten basic human decency." Giant transport planes deployed the smaller scale knightmare transport VTOLs who then dropped their knightmare passengers onto the field. "Your dreams of a bygone golden age will fall and rot to nothingness." Dozens of VTOL Gunships flew over the G-1 Base shadowing the movements of Cornelia's ground forces.

**Area 11, Narita, JLF Base**

Inside the JLF Base central command room a metal door slid open and two soldiers snapped to attention as the only surviving member of Japans high command walked into the room. "General Katase sir."

"We're under attack?"

"Yes sir the enemy has completely encircled us. We count over a hundred units." Katase glanced at the Base's sensor map which showed that if anything the soldier was understating the case.

The Black knights watched in awe as close formations of Brittanian transports flew by the mountaintop. Lady Kami was not there because she had climbed into whatever it was under the camouflage tarp.

"What the hell it's like the whole Brittanian army out there."

"We've been cut off, our only chance now is to fight."

"What but this is Cornelia, we didn't do so well the last time we faced her."

'Yes a direct head on attack against Cornelia. No one would expect that to be possible.'

"So?"

"Even messiahs must perform miracle if they are to be acknowledged, therefore we must produce our own miracle."

Tamaki opened the hatch of his tank and looked at Zero thoughtfully. However one of the new recruits wavered. "Pulling this off won't be easy the price could be our lives."

In a flash Zero had his pistol out a laser targeter focused on the offenders forehead. Then Zero flipped the pistol in his hand as if to offer it to the soldier.

"Will any of you shoot me, anyone? Since you have joined the black knights there have been only two options you may live with me or you may perish with me. You passed the point of no return long before this moment."

A electronically amplified voice carried out from under the tarp. "You'll also have to shoot me and then find a way to kill all the Brittanians without our help."

The objecting soldier put their gun away. "Apologies for my outburst lord Zero."

"You are forgiven once. Not again." Then Zero turned his head towards the tarp covered figure as he walked towards it. "I thank you, Lady Kami by the way I trust your flight here last night was pleasant?"

"It was now, get up here I believe we have a personal call to make."

The Old Soldier

General Katase scowled as his men relayed an increasing amount of bad news.

"General all our underground reserve units have been captured. We've received a message from Cornelia demanding our surrender."

"Idiot if we fall here the resistance falls with us"

"So sir do we attack or do we dig in?"

"What about Tohdoh where is he?"

"He went to Kyoto to get the custom Burai's."

"If they're on schedule he should be here soon but."

"Tohdoh won't make it in time."

"Damn it, send out the Burai's and dispatch the Ronin teams to perform tactical strikes on the enemy. We'll send out our heavy armour as soon as they manage to weaken them at one point. We'll break the encirclement on one side and make our escape. We'll show them the Japanese spirit and pride, this is our moment of truth."

"General another transmission is coming in on an encrypted channel. Its, It's from the Lady Kami of the six houses of Kyoto."

"We're a bit pressed for time at the moment." _Although at least she is wise enough to keep her real identity concealed while she calls us._

"But sir she says she's transmitting from on top of the mountain. She needs to talk to you now."

Katase swore under his breath. "I'll take the call in the secondary communication room. Clear everyone else out."

The moment the image of Lady Kami appeared on his viewscreen Katase spoke with the absolute minimum of politeness he could get away with. "Lady Kami what are you doing here? The Brittanians are."

"I am aware of what the Brittanians are doing General I have come here to inform you of how they may be defeated. You see I brought a guest." Then the image split and the helmeted visage of Zero stared back.

"You? Considering what happened to Kusakabe I should probably be more worried by now."

"Kusakabe is still alive and in good health even if his current circumstances are less than pleasant. General whatever may have passed between me and Kusakabe I have no grudge against you. If I did I would not be telling you of our plan."

The Lady Kami spoke up. "I can confirm that Kusakabe is alive General I saw him myself." Indeed it had been a surprise for her when after the soccer match Lelouch had led her to where the public toilets were being cleaned. Seeing the colonel stuck cleaning out urinals had been one of the high points of her day. "You were briefed on the abilities of the Guren Mark two's signature weapon I believe. We're going to use it here." and then a digital image of the mountaintop appeared. "The moment the Brittanians concentrate their forces to attack the entrance to the base." Katase's eyes widened even as he took in the digital imagery of what Zero's plan would achieve. "If you order your forces here to break eastwards once the enemy moves in you will be able to avoid losing your men. Any Brittanians who follow you will only die."

The Princess

**Area 11, Narita, South west base of mountain**

The trio of officers showed Euphemia the position of troops on the battlefield.

"We believe the enemy base is located somewhere in this area however until we have a list of their collaborators we can't burn down everything with our aerial bombing."

"The enemy will attack our encirclement and will try to break through at some point from there we can ascertain the location of their base."

"Our forces are split into three fronts. Viceroy Cornelia here, General Alex here and general Darlton here. Long range artillery battalions under Major York are moving up to these two locations behind Alex and Darlton's forces. As for our flanking forces." Static began scrambling the screen. "Its enemy ECM"

On the eastern side of the mountain Darlton and his Gloucesters were experiencing the jamming of their long range radios as well.

"The main enemy force should be coming out any time now we're switching to ECCM mode link up on channel six." Darlton and his men turned over their radios to a shorter ranged focused transmission that cut through the haze of interference.

Inside his cockpit Darlton smirked. "The enemy what are we calling them again?"

"Burai's sir. They're reports of some other variant but so far there is no sign of them"  
"Right they're rather like pseudo Glasgow's so watch out for them."

"Yes sir we"… whatever else the luckless soldier was about to say would be a mystery because at that moment an armour piercing sniper round blew his knightmares head clear off. While Darlton and the other returned fire and then took cover the blinded knightmare ran straight into a boulder tripped and was destroyed by a second shot to the cockpit block. Darlton cursed. "Enemy sniper is on that point One Ninety meters up hill on the right Fire". His subordinates immediately fired their heavy cannons at that location. Forcing the enemy to abandon his position. Its head was shaped differently to the images of Burai he'd seen and it accelerated up the slope dodging Darlton's fire with higher agility than any Glasgow variant had ever possessed. It vanished down a dug in trench just as the first wave of Burai charged down at them. "Well I think we've found that other variant gentlemen, now kill it." He tapped another channel. "Jeremiah have your team hang behind and provide long rang covering fire if the JLF try rolling heavy armour down this hill we'll break formation so you can engage freely."

"Yes my Lord."

The Battle Maiden

On Cornelia's front three Burai's rose up from a concealed elevator platform and opened fire on the advancing Brittanians. Cornelia smiled in appreciation.

"How clever of them they have turned this whole mountain into a fortress."

"Your highness please fall back."

"Guildford don't treat me as though I'm another one of your women."

She punched the accelerator on her knightmare and charged forwards.

"It's Cornelia" the soldiers of the JLF were veterans of the war seven years past. They maintained overlapping firing lanes and kept on firing even as Cornelia accelerated faster turning her knightmare like a dancer as she dodged their fire.

"Don't panic take out the leader."

"Insolent worms" Cornelia charged in fast knocked two of them over with brute force and skewered their leader clean through with her lance.

A manned turret appeared on a ridge and was preparing to fire when Guilford's slash harken destroyed it. "Very well I will cover your rear milady."

Cornelia strode forwards over the wreckage flanked by Guilford and two of her royal guard. Her lance held high as her cloak billowed behind her.

"Well Cornelia is here. Is there no one who will challenge me?"

Suddenly a pair of red targeting lasers appeared on the centre of her knightmares torso block. Unfortunately the fancy horns on her knightmares head were not ornamental. They actually contained high powered communication antennae and redundant sensor cameras as a command knightmare. They detected the targeting lasers. Cornelia immediately yelled out "Sniper" as she leapt sideways from the incoming fire. The round missed her but shattered the right arm of the Gloucester behind her.

A low whistling sound was the only warning as three knightmare scale grenades were fired from Ronins wearing the colours of the JLF. Cornelia quickly dodged back but two of her royal guard were not so lucky. One was blown apart completely the other lost its remaining arm before a crossfire from the ronins ripped him apart. Cornelia accelerated again towards the enemy fire. Then a series of smoke grenades detonated and she swerved left knowing a trap when she saw one. Additional Brittanian knightmares followed up behind her but their return fire struck nothing. Her ambushers had pulled back. "Hmm perhaps this will serve as a challenge, redirect a pair of VTOL Gunships in this direction."

In the town of Narita a man in civilian clothing slipped into a seemingly innocuous looking building hurting along as a voice carried along the streets. "A general evacuation order has been issued all civilians must leave."

The outside was normal the inside however looked like a labarotory. Although what it was meant to be studying was anybody's guess considering the large metal spheres inside. The man turned towards his labcoat wearing colleagues.

"They've begun evacuation."

"There no way we can leave with our equipment yet."

"Hiding in the terrorists area we thought we'd be safe from discovery"

"This was all General Bartleys decision so we have to make do with this."

Lelouch sat in the front seat of the Strife. The tactical map appeared before him while he read a copy of a Brittanian field manual. "Very good Cornelia, a most logical deployment. However excellent it is however it is also very easy to read."

The Old Soldier

"Our second wave had minimal effect. Ronin heavy weapons teams have destroyed a unit of Sutherlands but there seems to be a harrier team moving behind them. They're using highly accurate mortars to flush the weapon teams out of cover. Colonel Nakamura's unit has taken fifty percent casualties. Kurita's tank division was taken out by a second harrier team at point Seven Six."

_Damn it that I have to rely on this upstart_. But he had to trust that the Lady Kami knew what she was doing. Because he couldn't see any other way out of this situation but the one she and Zero offered. "All right pull the troops back to point twelve let the Brittanians follow you. Have the rear guard head back inside the base all other units prepare to break east within the encirclement perimeter on my command."

"Sir?"

"Just wait for my command." Katase bent his head and softly whispered "Tohdoh if only you were here then the divine wind would blow. We'd have a second miracle of Itsikushima."

The Battle Maiden and the Scarred One.

In the shadows of some trees One of Darltons knightmare pilots contacted his commander while looking across at a somewhat dilapidated Japanese monastery.

"General Darlton based on the enemies movements I conclude that the enemy's main entrance is concealed near that monastery."

"I believe the appropriate word here is Bingo."

"Actually sir it's."

Darlton chuckled "Just call it in Mr Literal."

In the event of enemy ECM knightmares could carry a variety of signal flares each with an agreed upon meaning. The one launched detached into three smaller rockets that gave off a distinctive pattern of bangs

Cornelia's camera sensors picked up on the flash bang and she immediately recognised the signals meaning.

"Is that Darlton? He's found the JLF Base. Detach our reserve forces to back up Darlton and Alex. We'll hold position here."

Guilford smiled inside his cockpit. "Are you sure about this?"

I don't need to steal achievements from my subordinates. Let Darlton handle this one looks like he'll be getting another medal.

The Old Soldier.

Inside the JLF Base Katase watched the display and made his decision. "She has committed her reserve forces. Pull the troops east." _And hope that zero proves a man of his word._

The Battle Maiden and the Scarred

Darlton grinned as he saw the JLF Burai's heading away from his forces or retreating back inside their stronghold not even bothering to conceal its entrance anymore. "Enemy forces are breaking eastwards tell Alex to keep up the pressure." More knightmares rappelled up steep cliffs using their slash harkens. On the tactical map the front lines of Cornelia's forces advanced further up the slope. The JLF forces above ground having less room to manouver. It was inevitable. Darlton grinned a predators smile. "Soon any remaining resistance in Area 11."

Cornelia watching the same map finished his statement. "Will soon be finished."

The Devil and his Lady

_My enemy moves knights to take advantage and they expose the queen._ "All preparations are complete prepare to move out. We the black knights are now going to launch our attack from the summit of the mountain. You have all had your tactical missions relayed to you through the battle net. The objective of this operation is to capture Viceroy Cornelia all other Brittanians are expendable."

Tamaki let out a mighty yell "Yeah lets do this." Then he sat into his driver seat and revved the tanks engine.

Black Knight troopers boarded the APC units while Sohnis Power armoured soldiers leapt up and grabbed onto handholds on top of the vehicles. "Yeah we'll make a miracle happen." Knightmares moved into formation along with the tanks. "We'll have Zero and Lady Kami on our side."

The tarp blew back and everyone watched in awe as a massive metal robot stood up. It was easily eight meters tall. Its torso pointed forwards like the nose of a fighter jet. Every part of it was sharp and edged twisting behind the mech like a fighter crafts wing. Its legs were supported by a combination of artificial muscle and pistons. Its head was a triangular wedge of steel with a thin black wraparound visor at the front. Red LED's moved across it surface. In its left hand it held a weapon with three rotating barrels that seemed to be continuously sparking with electricity. In its right was a long rifle which had had the top and bottom of the barrel sharpened so that it looked like he was holding out a sword. Vaguely triangular pods jutted off the end of each shoulder which had a pair of giant raven drones perched on them. A long compacted device seemed to jut over the left shoulder from where it was attached to the back.

Inside his seat Zero looked at his display. "Zero piloting Maverick Class Nobuseri Strife X-001. My coordinator is the lady Kami. Power status?"

"Twin SURTUR drives are spinning up power generation at One hundred percent."

"Sensors?

All sensor suites are running at full capacity. Link up to raven drone net is functional launching drones now." The ravens flung themselves into the sky twin rotors in their 'wings' holding them aloft as they flew out over the mountain top.

"Boost jets?"

A brief flashes of fire signified they were functional.

"Everything else checks out and I see that General Alex and Darlton's forces are within the predicted area. Ready to go hunting Lady Kami?"

"You just try and keep up Lord Zero."

Beneath his helmet Lelouch smirked and tapped the floating orange hologram that switched the general communicator back on. "The Guren will open the way Kallen use penetrating electrode three, finish things with one blow."

"Okay."

It was almost gentle the way Kallen lowered the Gurens massive metal claw onto the end of the missile shaped excavator. "Radiant wave surger levels steady. And." She pushed the trigger switch and the indicator dials for the weapon went all into the red. "Inside the radiant wave surger concentrated microwaves bombarded a series of specially prepared radioactive isotopes. The energy released manifested visually as a heat distortion in the air and the discharge of what some described as black lightning edged in red. Then the wave surger ejected a spent cartridge and automatically reloaded. Beneath the surface thousands and thousands of gallons of mountain water instantly superheated into steam. It expanded pushing more water out of the way. The pressure ripping apart stone and mud until. There was a faint rumbling and enough time for Kallen to say "It worked."

Then the mountain ahead of her erupted in a massive landslide of mud and stone. It surged down the slope like a tidal wave. The Brittanian knightmares leading the charge up the slope had enough time to say "A landslide at a time like. Urrggh." The wave swept downwards crushing men burying vehicles and sweeping aside knightmares like children's toys. Darlton managed to cry out "What the Hell?" before he was swept away too.

On the tactical screen in the G-1 Base Euphemia watched in horror as a large purple wave on the screen showed the destruction of more than half of their entire force who'd concentrated near the Base entrance. "What's happening?"

One of the staff officers gaped in amazement. "How can a landslide just appear out of nowhere?"

"Alex and Darlton's units are being wiped out."

And it was only half done. Darlton had had the prescence of mind to fire slash harkens at a stone outcrop. "Climb Damnit get to higher ground." Jeremiah led his harrier team out of the way of the landslide. The majority of his troops were not so fortunate and as Darlton hauled himself out of the mud he could see the reaching hands of knightmares sinking below the surface.

"Status report." Cornelia's face was grim. Her knightmare and her troops were only meters away from the landslides edge. She watched as her own forces were washed away right in front of her.

"Your Highness pull back you're in danger there."

"Forget about me find out about Darlton and where's Alex

Inside the JLF Base Katase and his men hung on. "Will this place hold together?"

"The central area should make it through."

In the A.S.E.E.C Trailer Lloyd (being Lloyd) was far more interested in the scientific side of things than in any human loss of life. "My, my at this rate they'll be swept all the way to the bottom."

Cecile looked up from her own monitor. "These heat readings are abnormal do you believe a hydro volcanic eruption was artificially induced?"

"Impossible unless they have Rakshata's radiant wave surger."

"What's happening?" Suzaku called from his knightmare cockpit

"Oh but its nothing to do with us. Just relax and continue waiting"

The landslide reached the bottom and smashed into the town of Narita destroying buildings and flooding the streets in mud. Burying soldiers and civilians alike.

Inside the Strife's cockpit Zero mused over the tactical hologram in front of him. 'It's even more destructive than I imagined. We've succeeded in isolating Cornelia but we could have been a bit more accurate. Perhaps I should have spent more time looking at the estimates." _Or have Nina tutor me in probability. _"The way is clear my Lady tell the JLF to begin their counter attack." Then he raised his weapons and cried over the intercom. "Black knights advance." Thrusters burned to life in his mech and instead of running the large triangular feet of his mech seemed to simply skate over the muddied ground as the Black knights charged into battle.

Lady Kami looked at the tactical display. " General Katase will begin the counter attack but there is still a substantial number of troops on the eastern side."

Zero chuckled. "Not for long. War it is time. UNLEASH THE APOCALYPSE."

War

**Area 11, Narita, Eastern sector.**

Inside a darkened chamber lit only by the faint light of computer monitors War sat upon a command throne. His massive metal fist held the pommel of his giant sword which had been inserted halfway down into the flooring. Around him sat half a dozen individuals in all clad in specialised power armour suits attending their monitors. "With pleasure my lord. Command crew report. Sensor officer?"

"Seismic, radar, Lidar, thermal, magnetic detector system, all high powered visual cameras systems and full connection to data feed from dispersed recon drones. Operating at a hundred percent.

"Communications?"

"Hai, we have full battlenet connection through the raven drones. Direct Laser beaming and microwave burst transmissions are in the clear.

"Reactor control?"

"Twin linked ONI Plutonium Sakuradite Reactors are ready to go into full activation. Radiation shielding is fully intact. Internal rad monitor system reads green." Everyone eased a little at that the whole reason they were wearing their armour was to protect them from the radiation their vehicles power source might give off if damaged.

"Engineering?"

All systems are prepared. Mechanicals, hydraulics, grav plates and engines fully functional both engineering teams are on station.

"Weapons?"

The red spectacle wearing officer grinned. "All missile and kinetic round ammunition bunkers are full. All Raiden guns are ready to fire. The central cannon target and firing systems are routed to your command throne. We are ready to blow shit up."

War grinned. "Then there is only one thing left to do. Communications set to broadwave transmission on Brittanian Frequency and push the red button"

In the G-1 Base and in every radio equipped soldier and vehicle at Narita people checked their headphones as what sounded like a guitar riff began playing across the Brittanians open channel

_Thunder_

"Sub Viceroy Euphemia an enormous heat reading just flared to the east of our position."

_Da Na na na nan na na naaaa na_

Inside the Apocalypse tank the crew kept updating War as the vehicle awakened.

"Reactors one and two are now running at a Hundred Percent. Plutonium fuel rods inserted. Internal shielding is up. All batteries and cooling systems in the green. No radiation leakage.

_Thunder _

"Sub Viceroy Euphemia. There is some kind of interference it looks like we're getting painted by a ground based radar."

_Da Na nanna nan nan naaaaaa na_

"Gravitic suspension field raised to 45 percent. Gear trains One through to Twelve unlocked. Motors are warmed and ready to go."

War spoke and pushed a large lever next to his hand all the way forward. "Forward helm full speed." Massive treads dug into the dirt and the ground rumbled. Hundreds of birds leapt upwards from their perches as trees and grass that had been laid over as camouflage were forced aside.

_Thunder_

"Lord War. Hydra networked targeting system is at one hundred percent. Enemy target data inputted. Battle reflex mode activated."

_Da Na nanna nan nan naaaaaa na_

The sound of snapping trees echoed down the slope. A screen showed a raven drone view of a Brittanian flanking forces near the mountains base. "Lord War enemy reserve force lies dead ahead. I count ten knightmares, five tanks and four APC's with infantry."

_I was caught in the middle of a fullscale attack_.

"Raiden's and forward cannon target those units and fire."

_Thunder_

Perfectly straight lightning bolts blasted out from the forest followed by hails of high velocity rounds and the echoing boom of heavy cannon. The weapons fire cut right through the trees and the Brittanians amongst them. Knightmares exploded, men burst into flame or were ripped into meaty shreds. A single tank manouvered for two seconds before an anti armour round holed it clean through.

_And I knew, knew there was no turning back._

Several Tanks and APC's with the Black nights insignia came barrelling out of the forest but an even larger shadow simply smashed the trees aside. One of the knightmares that had had its leg blasted by hard rounds pulled itself up before being run over by a moving wall of metal.

_Thunder_

In the G-1 Base the entire staff gasped in shock as a visual feed from a VTOL gunship came into view.

It was roughly the size of the G-1 Base but there, any real resemblance ended. It was an enormous supertank covered in gleaming hexagonal patterned metal. At each corner of the vehicle a normal sized tank turret swivelled back and forth. On the sides sponson guns fired out a hail of armour piercing ammunition along with the searing white beams of Raiden LIPC's. Smaller turrets along the top and at the front fired anti personnel machine rounds. Between the forward cannon mounts the front of the vehicle sloped down to where cruel metal spikes jutted forwards just above where six tank treads could be seen. A knightmare fleeing before the terrible vehicle was caught on one of the spikes before being dragged down and crumpled beneath the war machines bulk.

_I was caught and I thought what could I do?_

Above it all a gigantic central turret loomed it had a large flat top surface. On it a pair of CIWS guns swivelled. The central cannon was seven meters long extending forwards like a lance. The image cut out then as one of the turrets on the lower body turned to point at the gunship.

_Thunder_

The officers in The G-1 base were speechless at the impossibility before them. That something the size of a G-1 Base was moving faster then a knightmare should be utterly impossible.

_And I knew there was no help, no help from you_

"We have reached the designated firing position. My Lord."

_Thunder_

The central cannon spun around until it pointed across the gap between mountains and towards one of the forces at the back of the assault.

_Sound of the drums_

"Enemy mobile artillery squadron at point A-7."

"Targeting using primary cannon with earthshaker round. Firing mode three."

_The beat in my heart_

The atomic reactors at the heart of the Apocalypse sent energy surging towards the massive Generation seven Raikou cannon. "Firing Mode Three. Super Electromagnetic voltage confirmed. Hyper Gravitic drivers fully charged."

_The thunder of guns_

"Earthshaker round loaded"

_Tore me apart_

War's harsh voice echoed as the targeting reticule lined up. "Target Locked. All crew brace for firing."

_You've been, you've been_

War spoke. "Fire" and pulled the trigger.

_**THUNDERSTRUCK**_

KRAKKA BOOM.

Within the firing chamber gravity itself was turned upon its head. As far as physics were concerned the round in the chamber was being sent at three kilometres a second straight _down_ into a gravity field twenty times that of earth. The massive sonic boom echoed across the valley as a shell the diameter of a knightmares head shattered the sound barrier. It landed right in the middle of major York's artillery squad burying itself in the earth. The sheer kinetic impact made the ground move like water in a pond. Then the specialised explosive inside the round was compressed and detonated. Sending out a shockwave that tore apart everything it hit. Within an instant every single piece of machinery, stone and living flesh was shredded into tiny pieces and propelled outwards. Fragments of pulverised metal and bone flew up from the massive crater and the rapidly growing dust cloud where they had been.

The cannon pointed upward "Load canister round." Inside the Apocalypse a targeting system locked onto the formation of transport craft trying to flee the area. A second shot shattered the heavens and an expanding cloud of hypersonic ball bearings ripped into the Brittanian VTOLS. Some had superficial damage but one of the carrier planes lurched sideways its wing snapped off and it crashed into the ground in a ball of flame. The smaller craft were torn apart before they could even explode. One was almost completely unharmed but for the fact that its pilot was instantly decapitated turning the inside of his cockpit bright red.

The reaper

"He's fired the first round that's the signal activate the jamming towers. Riflemen launch the blizzard missiles at designated points. Set your widowmaker teams to shoot down every Brittanian air asset in range no one leaves." From ridges and mountain surrounding the Narita battlezone large jamming towers were pulled aloft and activated. Portable launchers sent salvoes of Blizzard missiles that soared over the battlefield and covered it in clouds of glittering chaff smoke. Every radio device screamed in juttering static as the electromagnetic interference rendered radio communication and sensors systems beyond a hundred meters all but impossible. The ground rumbled and split as half buried machines clambered out of the pits they had been hiding in. Around the towers large ten meter tall bipedal Mechs strode. Their arms were replaced with enormous anti air rail guns. And slimmer Anti air laser systems connected onto those weapons. In place of heads they had targeting radar dishes. Around the feet of the riflemen smaller black quadrepedal dog like mechs moved armed with anti air turret guns on their backs.

They all trained their weapons over the battlezone and began blasting the Brittanian air assets out of the sky. The Brittanians had scattered from their close formations after the Apocalypse fired but the Black knights anti air battalions encircled the entire operation area and solid state lasers are all but invisible in bright daylight.

The pilots were not panicking but they were very close to it. No one passed flight training if they had a tendency to lose their nerve under fire. Still having a plan fall apart in three seconds flat losing all communication to a storm of jamming and having a giant tank blow a quarter of them out of the sky with hypersonic shrapnel was enough to unsettle anybody. But they did not panic. They began to panic as craft began bursting into flame for no reason. One pilot was able to see the laser but only because he was looking right at it when it fired. There was a bright flash and the upper half of his cockpit along with his body was vaporised. Then the rifleman's and widowers began firing their railguns.

The air was thick with the shriek of high speed munitions, the bright lines of tracer fire and every now and then the thick red beam of an anti aircraft laser became visible as it passed through some smoke and aerial shrapnel. The rifleman mechs aided by the Widower support carved apart the slow Brittanian air craft like well cooked steak. The larger transports were the first to fall their wings and engines shot apart they plummeted into the mountainside like bombs. The smaller VTOL gunships and transports tried to dodge but if the lasers didn't skewer them the expanding shrapnel from the cluster rounds tore them apart even without direct hits. Flaming wreckage rained from the sky. The only ones that managed to survive were those who flew close enough to the ground to confuse the anti air targeting. One VTOL Gunship did that just in time to be yanked down by a well aimed slash harken from a JLF knightmare.

"Well done gentlemen now if you'll excuse me." A digital list scrolled down the side of the cockpit showing the IFF readings and names of Luthur's targets. A raven drone fed back a microwave burst showing him the location of one general Alex. Along with his mission statement - execute every member of Cornelia's elite forces.

**Authors note **

Luthur: I'm making a list pray you're not on it.

Derain: Cornelia stands with her soldiers packed closely together asking if anyone will challenge her. In a bright purple mech with a white cape. Biggest invitation to get shot ever.

Kallen: The JLF have been making a better account of themselves. Guess those improved knightmares you sold them really paid off.

Derain: Not to mention Zero's 10 meter tall jump jet equipped dual wielding death bot. Or the anti air mechs with giant AA equipped cyber dogs Or the massive supertank with its giant grav cannon of DOOM. HAHAHAHAHA

Kewell: Giant super tanks isn't this a bit over powered?

Luthur: Oh you idiot you've set him off.

Derain: Overpowered you say? In comparison to what? To fighting against a Superpower with the biggest military force in the world? In the canon the orbital map of Japans initial invasion showed that the only two directions they didn't get hit from were China and OUTER SPACE. Counting Schniezel and Cornelia's ships there will be two Aircraft carriers at least supporting the ground forces by the end of season one. Plus flying ships and whatever else Lloyd has hidden at the back of his trailer. Not to mention all the extra stuff that is going to be called in to deal with what is clearly now not a simple rebellion. And in case you didn't notice Cornelia brought along some extra stuff herself. I have set out to create for Zero an army that really can fight to free Japan with a chance of success. Don't get me wrong. In the canon I'm certain he had a plan to beat off Schniezel's counter attack at the end of season one I just wondered how he was going to fight off the MASSIVE COUNTER INVASION that would have come after that. But now they have a way, for they have the GIANT GUN THAT WILL PIERCE THE HEAVENS.

Kallen: Yeah but I think Kewell meant overpowered for the battle of Narita.

Derain: They have Cornelia and her elite troops in a mountainous region with a limited number of ways in or out where they can cut her off from communication with her troops and the rest of the country. They will never have an opportunity like this again. Damn straight they're going to pull out all the stops. Fighting fair is for those who want to lose. Plus all this doesn't come without cost don't forget War and his buddies are driving around in a vehicle thats a reactor breach away from being a metal coffin.

Susaku: Luther praying?

Luthur: What religious faith and killing people are not contradictory, oh wait I forgot who I am talking to.

Derain: An army chaplain once said to his soldiers the army is about killing people if you're worried about your mind see the psychiatrist if you're worried about your soul come see me. Considering who his mother was I think that Luthur's religious instruction would have involved a lot more emphasis on the spiritual quandaries faced by soldiers. Any issues he had with killing people he got over with long ago and incorporated violence into his personal philosophy. I get so sick of anime that drag out the agonising over war and killing people theme _throughout the entire series_.

Luthur does not do anything to others he is not prepared to accept them doing to him. It's just that the things he has endured and are prepared to have happen to him are really scary. Luthur is a complicated guy and one of the main differences between him and Suzaku is that Luthur is a lot more consciously aware of his own personality and motivations. Unlike Suzaku who veers between self loathing and self delusional bullshit most of the time.

Suzaku: I resent that

Derain: Listen to captain introspective here. It took one and a half seasons and the detonation of a WMD before you even began considering that killing your father was the wrong thing to do. Now you haven't done any hypocritical acts so far in this section of storyline. I'd start watching out though because I gave Brannoth the keys to the Apocalypse tank.

Lelouch: The best part of this is that everything that is happening at Narita is only one of the many military attacks being carried out all over Japan. My genius knows no bounds, fall before my complicated and cunning military strategems.

C.C: Oh, oh sounds like Lelouch is getting overconfident again. We all know what happens soon after that.

Derain: But regardless soon we shall see the Reaper in all it's terrible glory making sure that none of Cornelia's royal guard get out alive.

Oh and one more thing. THE LASERS ARE REAL. The US navy recently tested a AA laser weapon that burned a hole into a military drone and caused it to crash into the ocean. It was daylight so you couldn't see the beam but the plane burst into flames. Since its cameras were trained on the destroyer it got a very good visual reading of the high intensity laser before the cameras melted. Everything went really bright and then immediately became very dark. FEAR THE AWESOME POWER OF THE LASERS. ALL HAIL SCIENCE.


	20. Chapter 20

In war everything is simple but the most simple thing is complicated.

Chapter 20

The Princess

Inside the G-1 Base Euphemia listened to panicked words edged with storms of static. The G-1's powerful transmitters were managing to maintain a semblance of communications with the troops nearby, but any transmission into or out of the Narita Mountains was impossible. The icons on the tactical screen winked in and out the whole image sometimes vanishing. Some came back but the ones near that mobile fortress would blank out in whole groups and never reappear. The thunder of its primary gun shook the air again and again as it relentlessly blasted any knightmare on open ground into powder.

One of the support officers leaned over the tactical map "Viceroy Cornelia has been almost completely cut off."

"Can we send any air support?" As if in response a transport craft crashed into the ground seven hundred meters ahead of the G-1 exploding in a pillar of flame that caused them all to flinch.

Meanwhile Darlton was experiencing problems of his own. He was locked in battle with a pair of Ronin who'd tried ambushing him as he crawled out of the mud. One accelerated backwards firing precise shots even as the other tried to hit him from the left with a miniature flamethrower. Darlton fired both his slash harkens past the first enemy Ronin where they dug into a tree then he retracted them while leaping forwards. The increased speed led his lance straight into the enemy knightmare. At the last moment the enemy flung his arm forwards and a sharpened blade punched outwards. It cut into the visor of his Gloucester then fell away. As he turned towards the other Ronin, three of his own men in mud drenched knightmares shot it to pieces. "General Darlton you're alive."

"For now, can we raise the G-1 base?"

"No sir the ECM has gotten even worse we can barely even kessshkkk maintain kesshhkk." The radio faded out into unintelligible gibberish before another of Darltons lieutenants opened a signal.

"Sir I've lost contact with over sixty percent of our primary force I can't raise General Alex at all."

Darlton exclaimed in a combination of shock and anger. "Our command structure can't sustain this." Then they heard the whistling of ordnance as a second band of Ronin opened fire and long range artillery began raining down from the JLF base.

"Damn it."

The Devil and The Lady

The Black knights separated into different groups as they sped down the mountain. Kallen and half a dozen Ronins led by Ohgi kept pace with their leader in his enormous mech. In the Strife Lelouch steered the vehicle forwards while Lady Kami analysed the tactical map. Then she pulled up two images from the raven drones and forwarded them to his HUD. Zero responded immediately. He tapped at a digital hologram around one of the photos to indicate his decision to the lady.

"We are entering thick forest. Disengage gravitic suspension and shift to stride mode." The massive machine slowed down and then the triangular feet split apart into two toed claws as it began running down the hill. It kept speed with the knightmares even as its larger stride propelled it forwards at 80 kilometers an hour its metal feet pounding the ground. Then Lady Kami opened a communication channel to the knights."

"There are two Brittanian forces between us and Cornelia. The first is downrange to our right. Blast right through them. We will deal with the second force then rejoin you." The mighty vehicle slowed down and stopped while Zero accessed the targeting data coming in from the raven drones. Further down the mountain some of the rear forces had gotten onto their side of the avalanche. They lacked cohesion but they were all clustered together five Gloucesters and seventeen Sutherlands.

Zero glanced at his monitor. "Range confirmed at 1.7 kilometers downslope. Shifting control of long range weaponry to co-ordinator. They are all yours milady."

Behind him Lady Kami smiled as multiple tracking icons all flashed the crimson of target lock. The triangular pods on the Strife's shoulders opened like macabre steel flowers revealing rows of European Universe Mark 2 BludNacht missiles.

A targeting reticule lowered over her right eye. As the Strife dug its feet into the ground the black rectangle on its back flipped over its shoulder to face forwards then it extended to twice its length. A loud hum began to permeate the air around it. In her cockpit the Lady's emerald eyes narrowed as the Strife's computers confirmed the trajectory provided by the targeting drones. Her right hand flipped open the firing switch on a control stick. "Missile lock confirmed, gauss sniper cannon charged." She pressed the trigger. "Firing now."

Sakuradite laced rails launched a kinetic penetrator round right through the trees shattering them in clouds of splinters before blasting into the centre of the survivors ragtag formation. The Gloucester she'd targeted simply ceased to exist torn apart into minute fragments. Before the smoke could even clear a hail of a dozen short range missiles arced down from the sky. Each one hit its mark in a series of fireballs. However two of the remaining Gloucesters were veterans and with sharp commands ordered the survivors forwards into the cover of the trees. "Spread out and charge their position." As they advanced to the source of the missile attack a dull roaring echoed and the leader barely had time to register before 35 tons of armoured war machine landed right on top of him. The Jump jet equipped strife crushed the knightmare into unrecognisable scrap beneath its metal claw and then charged across the ground towards its foes. Both gun arms fanned out targeting different knightmares. The right with its rotating barrels spat streams of straight lightning bolts that instantly exploded every frame they hit accompanied by cracks of man made thunder. The left sword shaped weapon fired single shots with penetrated through cockpit blocks and yggdassil drives with unerring precision. In the brief moments before they died the Brittanians were shocked by the eerie organic movements of the mech. Smooth and flowing as if it was a giant man in armour and not a machine sidestepping between trees and ducking down onto its left knee as it lined up a shot on the remaining Gloucester. As the arm was raised up, the guns would fire at the top of their arcs like a quickdraw shooter from the wild west. Not a single bullet or bolt of lightning wasted. One lone soldier fired his gun at full auto at the enemy only to see the bullets glance off in a hail of sparks. Scratching the angular armour of the black death machine as it's pilot planted a single bullet through the centre of the knightmare before he could eject.

Inside the Strife Zero's shoulders raised and lowered with excited breathing. "Time."

"One minute and ten seconds."

"Lets rejoin the others. Kallen's group should be encountering the enemy now."

"Wait the tac net is identifying a third group further down this section of the slope."

Zero chuckled. "Leave them to the Reaper."

The Orange

Jeremiah accelerated his Harrier up a slope. He swung his anti armor gun as targeting lock chimes went off in his cockpit. The armour piercing round left the barrel obliterated the JLF tank in his sights and then the harrier spun around and swung behind a section of treeline. As return fire tore apart the forest just behind him the whistling of incoming mortar rounds smacked into the JLF forces as Viletta and Markus Aurelian the newest member of Jeremiahs team let loose another barrage. "Villetta, Markus target the two lead vehicles to slow them down, then break off. Victor see if you can re-establish communications with Darlton raising the G-1 base is pointless at the moment." The crack of his subordinates guns was Jeremiah's signal. In the confusion and smoke of Villetta's attack Jeremiah pushed the Harrier up to high speed and side skated up the slope right across the path of the JLF armoured vehicles heading eastwards. The lead tank fired its cannon as he crossed its firing line but its driver's reflexes were too slow and the round passed within a meter of Jeremiah even as he fired three times. Each shot generated recoil which would have ruined aim or even flung the harrier on its back at the speeds it moved at. But Jeremiah had earned his margravine status as a harrier pilot through three invasions and he perfectly positioned each shot so that the recoil guided his barrel to the next target. The lead tank had its own cannon barrel shattered, a Ronin that had come along side was destroyed and the third shot blew through the legs of two Burai and smashed the right wheels of an APC carrying infantry. Then he broke off the attack fired a slash harken at the weapon of one of the Burai he'd missed and headed down the slope at speed. Just in time as half a dozen Ronin were coming down the mountain towards him. Jeremiah charged off the edge of a short cliff spun around and fired his harkens into the stone to slow his descent. He hit the ground with a bone rattling shudder and escaped into the forest.

As Jeremiah accelerated to the rendezvous point with his team a glance at the tactical map showed grim news. It was just as well that harrier squads were trained to operate on their own because the only friendly knightmares they'd had seen so far had been a trio of Gloucesters whose pilots had all been killed by what looked like perfectly smooth holes fired through the side of their cockpit blocks. Although the last one had been worse as it seemed the pilot had been removed from his cockpit and then disembowelled. That struck Jeremiah as rather odd. They had seen Sutherland escape pods and infantry squads. It was like someone was selectively targeting the Viceroy's royal guard.

Still he felt pride at his team's work they were fulfilling the fundamental purpose of a harrier team 'harrying' the enemy with highly destructive hit and run.

Of course any chance of them now forcing the JLF into an encirclement where they could be finished off had been buried along with half of their army. The massive storm of electronic static wreathing the entire mountain was in a strange way the only thing keeping his team alive since the JLF were just as badly affected. Even with his tactical map mostly incomprehensible static it didn't take a genius to guess how fucked up the battlezone was with the thunderous kaboom of that giant monstrosity's cannon obliterating every thing it could find. Still even now Jeremiah knew that he wouldn't be anywhere else. It may have come at the cost of his rank but leading a harrier team into combat was something he had desperately missed. The physical stress, the adrenalin of high speed knightmare combat and the lightning fast tactical decision making that pushed him to the limits.

His com crackled with interference as he received a communication from his third team member. "Lord Jeremiah my long distance cameras have achieved visual on Lord Manfred's Harrier team. But they are out of effective radio range I can't raise them."

"Have they hooked up with General Darlton?"

"No I believe they're going to try attacking that enemy mobile fortress."

Jeremiah felt a chill run down his spine before the jamming storm had run down he had had a brief image of that vehicle relayed to him. If its weapons worked the same way as that tank in Saitama … "What its look like. Is he doing single salvo and retreat?"

"No it looks like their going to try a strafing run."

"Oh shit."

"Sir?"

The Reaper

General Alex swore as he and his surviving team hauled themselves out of the mud. They had moved to a rise on the hill which allowed them to avoid being completely submerged. He'd served in Cornelia's personal forces for three years and he'd never seen an operation go this bad. He adjusted his radio to a second frequency and heard an incredibly loud guitar solo blast through his cockpit. Shifting back to close range radio he communicated with his troops. "Stay on ECCM mode we'll be stuck on short range radios for this. Sir's Carlson, Martinez and Heinrikson we're going to head to princess Cornelia's last known position you three act as forward scouts a hundred and fifty meters ahead of us that's about a"

Then a green energy beam the width of a man's arm lanced out of the smoke and destroyed all three Gloucesters in a second.

It came out of the mist a figure of death. Wrought in dull black metal and shrouded in thick cloth that seemed to drink in light. It had no legs floating above the ground the bottom edges of its robe concealing any trace of whatever mechanism held it aloft. It's lower body had two extended metal hip sections that looked like the armour plating for a knightmares upper thigh. On each side of the hip a pair of large rifles were held. Part of its metal torso was sculpted to resemble a ribcage. But it was barely visible through the trailing cloth that fluttered in the breeze. It's head was also cowled a hooded shape with nothing but darkness inside. Large shoulderpads connected to disproportionate sized limbs with white skeletal three fingered hands. These gripped something that looked like an unholy cross between a medieval torture device and a cannon. Part of the front seemed to consist of a transparent tube in which emerald lightning danced. A pair of curved blades extended forwards from the black barrel of the weapon. Enormous skeletal wings reached out behind it flexing the sharpened ends of the wingtips which gleamed with sharpened blades.

It picked up speed coming towards them. Its silence and unnatural lack of any visible propulsion put fear into the knights that they had never known. It swung the weapon as it charged firing short rapid bolts of green energy that blasted apart Gloucesters. Their return fire was utterly ineffective. It was if it was aware of the exact positioning of every gun trained on it. It would dodge and weave rising up into the air suddenly breaking right left or twisting its torso around. Then it came to close range. The blades at the weapons end snapped together into one and then shifted at a ninety degree angle to form a scythe. Emerald energy flared along the gleaming scythe blade as it cleaved through a charging Gloucesters lance and then through the cockpit itself. The reaper spun around destroying two more. It reached out and fired the energy beam with only its right hand. The left reached out towards the last Gloucester whose pilot cursed in amazement as his knightmare was picked up by some invisible force and flew forwards towards the Reapers open palm. The metal fingers dug into the front of his knightmare and before he could even eject every system shut down leaving it dangling helplessly like a broken puppet.

Then the skeletal taloned wing shot around the back of the apparition and stabbed sideways through his cockpit. The pilot vomited blood onto his screens as he was skewered. Other thin metal wing tips widened the hole and then his body was pulled out of the wreckage and held in front of the featureless cowl of the Reaper. Writhing like a fish on a hook as he tried to spit his impotent pain and fury at the one who had killed him.

"Death this is War."

Luthur turned his attention from the dying man in front of him.

"Report."

"I'm providing fire support to the JLF as they break out. However there is a targeting parameters issue with the G-1 Base."

"What do you mean?"

"It's surrounded by civilians. The evacuees from Narita as well as the injured from the landslide. I can't fire on the G-1 Base with my primary cannon without directly targeting them at the same time."

The impaled Brittanian gave a last gurgling curse before dying. Luther didn't notice.

"The G-1's primary transmitters are the only thing they have left that can allow moderately effective communications for the enemy. Those craven dogs may be using their own people as shields." Whatever officer they had in charge of the G-1 must be thinking the black knights wouldn't target it if the civilians were in the way. Death sighed in war casualties were inevitable but the direct intentional targeting of civilians and military field hospitals was not something Luthur or Zero would ever encourage. Since Cornelia's main path of attack had been in line with the Brittanian settlement the landslide had forced many more civilians to cluster around an unaffected medical area. And G-1's were meant to serve as field hospitals. _Thus the law of unintended consequences comes to bite us on the arse. _

"Very well the JLF are pushing their assault eastwards yes?" The talons held the bleeding corpse out. One of the other wing tips divided into a pair of snipping tools while delicate sensors scanned the face of the dead man.

"The JLF base is returning fire from emplaced guns onto Darlton's remaining forces while their mobile units are blasting through the flanking troops on the East. There are still significant Brittanian forces clustered on the south side. Darlton doesn't have enough left to breach their stronghold but he could regroup, retreat in order and then move to support Cornelia."

Death accessed a topographical map as his sensors relayed local wind conditions to his HUD.

"Destroy the remaining rear line artillery. As for Darlton's stragglers on the south side, fire thermite rounds into the forest at these three locations." A quick burst transmission sent the necessary coordinates over the battlenet. "Set the woods ablaze that will flush any survivors out of hiding and prevent him from regrouping into a coherent force. Then move in support of the JLF to the east." On his HUD Death saw the cameras confirm that the bloodied figure stuck on his wingtip was indeed General Alex Cornwell. Another name on his list turned crimson.

"I will deal with the G-1 Base this requires a more surgical approach." Then one of the wing blades neatly snipped of Alex's head while another bony talon split apart into delicate mechanisms which bound the head inside a metal cage before affixing it to a chain dangling from the Reapers midsection. "We can't allow the Brittanians to think that surrounding themselves with targets we won't shoot automatically makes them safe." The decapitated body was flung aside like so much refuse.

The burned

Kewell scowled as he stood on the cockpit of his Sutherland. He turned to Robert one of the other purebloods who'd been disgraced. The brown haired plain faced man looked uneasy. "Robert have we got any transmission from command."

"None lord Kewell we're lucky we can even pick up the IFF of nearby troops."

"Why the hell are we here anyway? I thought we were getting attached to General Darlton."

"We are but our forces are meant to support the rear line of Viceroy's Cornelia's advance."

"Over here? We can't get any further away from the battle. Viletta and Orange boy are up there blowing up who knows what and achieving glory, and we're stuck here. I'm almost glad the enemy ECM is cutting us off at least we can't know how good the bastards doing."

"Well sir with all that dust from earlier it seems."

"That's not my point. How are we ever going to redeem our reputations if we're not anywhere near the fighting?"

Robert growing weary of being a foil for Kewell's anger snapped "Well I don't know sir and there's not much chance of that happening now because going by those detonations we heard I'd say that the JLF base has probably already been blown up."

"Well the VTOL squad assigned to patrol the perimeter for any breakouts from the encirclement should be approaching us soon so."

They heard a loud thrust of engines and a single VTOL came over their heads flying so close to the ground as to be brushing the treetops. The thrust from the engines kicked up dust right into Kewell's face. He was so enraged that he didn't really pay attention to the strange scoring along the gunships side.

"Aviator justify your actions why are you flying so close to the ground over our duty station. I'll have you up on charges for reckless piloting."

"We're flying low to avoid enemy AA sir they've been tearing us apart."

"Anti air? How can the JLF AA be that effective?"

"The JLF? Sir respectfully do you have any idea what's going on?"

**Authors notes**

Derain: And Derain spoke let there be awesome and yea there was awesome.

Luthur: Now to add more heads to our collection. **Do** fear the reaper baby, fear it.

Decapitated head of Alex: The curbstomping will not end.

Luthur: Nor will my calculated brutality designed to instill fear. Although don't worry I will treat your heads with respect afterwards. Just as much respect as I would expect my enemies to show to my dead body.

Alex: Its a bad day to be a gloucester pilot.

Luthur: The gloucester is Brittanias best mass produced knightmare and its built for highly effective anti knightmare combat. Darlton can demonstrate how good it is at that. When it gets in close even the Ronins can't last long. So getting rid of as many of Cornelias elite royal guard as possible makes good strategic sense.

Derian: Okay before I go off into another of my rants of destruction lets look at some things here. We can see how Lady Kami and Lelouch work together in piloting the mech and coordinating use of its weapons systems. She might get a mech of her own in the future but firing the missiles and using the sniper cannon fit well with her archer fighting style. In the Canon Lelouch was always a deft shot with a pistol. Here he is a master of GUN-FU and learned in the way of one shot kill. His armour laughs at the puny standard weapons of Brittania. Not that's he's invincible but regular knightmare rifles just won't cut it. Although there is something to be said for massed fire.

Lelouch: When you can shoot the pebble from my hand then you will receive ...

Kami: I just shot the pebble from your hand. I will get a kiss.

Lelouch: What? I didn't even see you draw the bow.

Kami: Don't sell me short pistoleer boy. I still killed more guys then you in that fight which lasted about a minute. Oh by the way. (Crash tackles Lelouch to the ground and kisses him)

Kallen: Missiles from the EU?

Derain: Arms traders remember. The EU has been fighting Brittania as well so they have to have some things going for them. Although I wonder what the Conclave has been giving the EU in exchange for all those nifty missiles? I also wanted to emphasise how the Nobuseri move differently from knightmares since they use artificial muscles not servos. They are more mobile but not as agile. They may make flying leaps and such but you will never see one doing any of the high speed acrobatics that the Lancelot and Guren do. The best comparison I can come up with is that knightmares move like hyper fast giant rollerblading robots. Nobuseri run like giant humans in armor or skate like ice hockey players.

Jeremiah: Well then it seems my team is doing well so far.

Kewell: Lucky bastard.

Jeremiah: Lucky do you have any idea what is going on?

Derain: He doesn't, which brings up a point I want to make. Battles can be very messy confusing destructive horrible things. As well as nonsensical. In a situation where almost all communication has been cut off and a plan goes so utterly to hell previously ordered military manouvers can quickly become FUBAR.

Jeremiahs running around fighting like crazy. Zero and death are blowing away Brittanians like old leaves. War is running over everything in site. Meanwhile Kewell and his men are sitting on the sidelines blissfully ignorant of what's going on because how are they going to know otherwise. It's not like they can see the landslide from where they are is it? With communication down confusion will reign.

Lelouch: By the way why do you keep referring to Kewell as the burned?

The lights go down Derain smiles and his eyes glow an eerie red

Derain: Heheheheh. MWAHAHAHAHAH


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Victory requires no justification failure allows for none.

**Narita mountains southwestern slope, Area 11, 2017 ATB**

The Iron Warrior and The Preacher

Sohni and her troopers moved through the forest with silence towards where the hill just dropped off into a very short cliff. Their armoured transport had stopped further back in the forest. The armour made only a faint whisper as she and her soldiers knelt against one side of the ridge. Below them Brittanian tanks and APC's were moving along an old dirt road trying to link up with Cornelia. Sohni looked at her ten man team, all of them wearing the titan armour. Five of them held Carnifex bolter rifles two of them with phalanx shields attached to their left arms. The other half of her team carried heavy weapons. Two held shoulder mounted missile launchers large rectangular boxes with four firing tubes. One had a massive backpack affixed with cables running from it towards a Raiden gun sparks arcing from the end of the weapon. Tonsho Higawa had a EU scheinhauser minigun with its ammo feeds connected to an enormous drum on his back. The last one was her lieutenant Xing who had a frankly disturbing obsession with her flamethrower.

Her own armour was customised to reflect her officer status. Below the six blue eyes the mouthguard had been fashioned into the face of a snarling demon and two closely woven braids of synthetic blue hair hung over her shoulders. Her bolter rifle was larger with intricate patterning done along the sides. She held it in both hands while at her side was strapped a scabbarded blade. A customised phalanx shield with an octagonal pattern of metal tiles over its surface was affixed to her arm by a servo device that caused it to shift its angle even as her limb remained motionless.

On a tree above her a crowborg was perched, it's cameras routing information to her HUD of the Brittanians crossing just below them. "They're exactly where Zero said they would be, lock in your targets." Digital icons appeared on the Brittanian vehicles with each one bearing the code of the one who would be attacking. "Anti armour Fire team destroy the two lead vehicles. Tonsho and Xing lay down suppressing fire on the rear APC's. The crowborgs will designate target for the indirect fire team further up the ridge." She then shifted to a direct link to the other team represented by a red trident on her HUD "light artillery team 3 attack on my mark. When I send you the second signal shift to smoke and anti personnel shrapnel rounds. We'll cripple their vehicles and move in on the infantry when they disembark."

She activated one final icon on her HUD.

"Squad 2… Are you ready?"

"We are ready."

A tank moved into position just below them. "Now Fire."

They stepped right up over the ridge and a pair of high powered missiles slammed into the enemy tanks. The vehicles were shunted sideways by the explosive force before the missiles were fired again destroying the tanks. A bolt of lightning shot out to spear a third tank which ground to a halt as the control devices inside the vehicle shorted out. The soldiers manning the APC's turned their turret guns up towards them.

Then the whistling of mortars came down and hit one of the APC's dead centre. Further up the hill black knight infantry teams were loading mortars and firing without rest. The mortar launchers themselves were a design from the Chinese federation cheap portable and rugged. But the targeting systems and the ammunition were conclave made. The firing of the weapons was coordinated by computers and digital imagery relayed by drones. The soldiers knew precisely where to fire the weapons to hit their targets. As the projectiles reached the top of their arcs micro weights inside them moved to direct their fall landing with terrible accuracy onto the tops of the APC's and in the middle of the Brittanian soldiers where the shaped charges at the tips rent through armour and flesh.

While the heavies laid down suppressing fire Sohni leapt down of the cliff with the others firing their weapons as Brittanian infantry men took cover behind their vehicles. Two of her soldiers charged forwards with their shields closing the distance between themselves and the enemy. They fired precise bursts of ammunition that tore apart the Brittanian soldiers. In a conventional battle this would have been suicidal but as stray fire glanced off the metal shields it became clear to the Brittanians that standard weaponry wasn't going to cut it. "Second volley." Sohni's command heralded another barrage of mortars but instead of pure explosives these ones detonated ten meters before hitting the ground showering the battlefield in a rain of deadly shrapnel that glanced off her soldiers armour but shredded the soldiers not under cover. Lighting blasted across the field and men screamed as the massive flamethrower transformed them into living torches.

Then the Brittanians were attacked from the other side by ten more titan armoured warriors led by a black armoured terror. His armour was reinforced with impact plates and strips of paper with Japanese ideograms were stretched across it. Small metal plates with religious symbology hung from the shoulders. A necklace of steel prayer beads was strung about the neck. The helmplate was white with a leering skeleton grin moulded onto the faceplate.

A half dozen Brittanian soldiers fired from the within the shelter of their transport. The armoured nightmare held his defence high as he charged. Then he screamed out in Japanese "For the emperor" and slammed the point of his shield into the ground in front of the disembarkation ramp. Then the metal tiles on the front exploded outwards flinging razor sharp shrapnel right through the open door. Turning the inside of the APC into a slaughter house. His task done the warrior raised up his right arm which had had two submachine guns integrated into its gauntlet and opened fire on another group. His own soldiers backed him up their heavy tribarrel laser rifles scything unseen death across the field which briefly became visible in the bloody mist released as men's heads and organs were vaporised.

Sohni exploded the head of a Brittanian soldier trying to pull the pin on a grenade. Then she holstered her weapon drawing out her chainsaw katana. She charged around the side of a burning APC screaming out her warcry. "Banzaiiii" Her sword's spinning teeth slicing a trooper right down the middle. His compatriots fired their rifles at point blank range only to watch the rounds carve streaks in her armour but fail to penetrate. Then their heads were separated from their bodies in geysers of blood. She pointed her sword right towards the last soldier. He raised his shotgun but before he could fire, a slash harken shot from her wrist dug into his chest and then yanked him forwards onto the whirling teeth of her chainsword katana the blades spitting out his internal fluids and organs in a fountain of gore that painted the vehicles hull crimson. Her breathing was harsh as she looked out upon the burning slaughter around her.  
The shooting had stopped beacuse there was little left to kill. Dismembered and burned bodies lay all around. Some had been reduced to barely identifiable smears by the horrific violence done to them by the Black knights weapons. A female soldier lay on her stomach having bled to death while crawling across the ground towards her own severed legs. A Brittanian lay on his back feebly trying to dig a torn metal plate from his guts before one of the troopers administered a merciful shot to the head.

For a moment Naomi 'Sohni' Inoue felt the flicker of nausea at what they had inflicted upon other human beings. But she'd seen so much death in the initial invasion that it passed quickly. "Total surprise and zero casualties." She looked down at the scratches that the enemy rifle rounds had torn onto her. "Sorry bastards didn't have a chance." She tapped an update to the battle net while she looked across at her compatriot in his nightmarish equipment as his squad headed towards their own transport vehicle which was pulling up on the edge of the battlezone. "You never told me you once studied as a priest."

She heard a derisive snort over the battlenet com line. "And you never explained why you decided to name yourself after a helicopter Sohni."

The Battlemaiden

Cornelia was venting her frustration on the JLF forces that were left on her side of the mountain. Meanwhile a pair of gunships hovered close to the ground. The storm of interference blanketing the mountain was weaker at certain points and Cornelia had been detaching some of her units as messenger runners to try and coordinate what forces she could still reach.

"Status?" Cornelia asked as her slash harken knocked the rifle from the hands of a Ronin and she blew apart its cockpit with rifle fire.

"The enemy seems to have deployed heavy anti air weapons all around the encirclement line. We got a burst transmission from the G-1 Base two minutes ago before getting cut off. Spoken only. Apparently there is some kind of super tank that's been taking out the long range artillery on the east side of the mountain."

"Enemy forces are coming down from the mountain top. Karius mechanised infantry division just dropped off the IFF net completely."

Cornelia cursed as she pulled her lance form the wreckage of another JLF Ronin. "Trying to take advantage of the confusion eh?"

"Its not the JLF it's the black knights."

The Queen and the Burned

Lower down the slope. Kewell and his forces received the exact same information from the gunship pilot.

"The black knights? Zero!" Kewell gunned his knightmare forward.

"What are you doing?"

"Don't you see if we can intercept them before they reach viceroy Cornelia we will be golden. This is the only chance we may get to redeem ourselves. If you want glory in life follow me"

Smoke wreathed the hills. On the eastern side of the landslide the forests had been set ablaze. Incendiary shells launched from the apocalypse rammed into the mountainside spreading napalm and chemical accelerants forming a wall of fire below the JLF base. The wind blew the smoke westwards across the divide. As zero's forces moved down through the smoke a pair of Burai's at the front were felled by knightmare rounds shattering their legs and planting their frames face first into the mud.

"Arggh." The black knights remaining Burai and Ronin scattered to avoid weapons fire from a new group of Brittanian knightmares.

One of them charged out and issued a broad challenge using his knightmares loudspeaker system.

"Are you there Zero? Come forward and face me. Face Kewell Soresi."

The ground shook and the Brittanians felt ice run down their spines as the gigantic black mech strode forwards through the grey haze and tilted its glowing red visor down.

It was almost comical seeing the knightmare threatening a mech that stood at almost twice its size. Almost. But Kewell whatever else he may have been would not falter.

"Zero. Face me."

One of the others no longer caught up in his superior officers enthusiasm began to speak of caution. "Lord Kewell is this wise? Look at the size of that thing."

Then Zero's cold voice washed over them. A mix of irritation and utter disdain.

"Ah yes the purebloods, although your puerile rants about Brittanian supremacy are wearing a bit thin at this point. I'd stay and chat if I could be bothered remembering your name."

You wouldn't think a knightmare would be able to express human like emotional responses. But as its arms were raised above its head in a posture of extreme frustration it was clear Kewell had managed it "Whaaaat? Die." He charged forwards. Zero's mech kept its weapons pointed downwards not even trying to defend itself.

Suddenly a crimson knightmare dropped down in front of him blocking the path to the enormous mecha of zero.

The other Brittanians raised their weapons but Kewell stopped them.

"Stay back this is my duel. I have to beat him."

"But look at that thing, look at that giant mech behind it. The elevens have clearly created a."

"You think elevens capable of such technology? That overgrown metal abortion of a knightmare and jet plane must be as slow as a"

Kewell was then interrupted as the Guren charged right towards him. Kewell moved left and pulled up his rifle. Before he could fire the red knightmare swerved around his firing arc and closed in quickly. He barely extended his stun tonfa in time to stop the metal claw from slicing his arm off. The two frames grappled for a moment before breaking off.

"That's right Brittanian." Kallen's voice echoed around them. "Japan is back and our counterattack includes this. The Guren mark two." Her knightmare accelerated right towards the sutherland. Kewell caught a glimpse of a red circle in the middle of the claw.

"There's something in its hand." He pushed his frame into full reverse. "If I can keep my distance I will." Then the arm extended forwards to half again its length and the metal claw clamped down on his frames head.

"Sorry." Kallen spoke before she pushed the Guren's surger to full power.

In the space of three seconds the vehicles systems seized up. The metal buckled and warped. Kewell managed to get out a brief curse. "I can't be beaten like this I am a…" Then blood ran from his eyes. His skin turned red and burned as the auto eject fired. As the knightmare disintegrated behind him Kewells damaged pod flew across the landslide and landed. Right in the middle of a raging forest fire.

Inside the cockpit Kallen remembered one of Deaths earliest pieces of advice during her training. "First lesson when a Brittanian starts making a big speech kill them before they finish talking."

**Narita Encirclement line, North East ridge**.

Hunters and Hounds

On an upper ridge a gigantic rifleman mech stood like a tower. Its legs unmoving while its torso spun around looking for additional targets. Nearby a mobile jamming tower consisting of a single metal pole surrounded by rotating panels was placed. The widowers prowled around it. Faithful dogs protecting their master. They were giant black hounds 3 meters tall at the shoulder. Wrought of black steel and rubbery looking muscle. Their cybernetic eyes glowed red and what appeared to be oil dripped from their slavering jaws. The dual linked guns on their backs had locked into a forward position to engage any ground forces that might approach it. One of them had blood dripping from its metal jaws as it slowly chewed away at the severed body of a Brittanian soldier. The torn apart transport nearby testament to the cyborg hounds savagery.

Suddenly it stopped and raised its head. Through the tac net a trio of raven drones circling the perimeter had detected movement. At the same time the chemical scanners linked to the cyborg dog brain in the Widowers head picked up a scent. It would have been unnoticed by a human brain which wouldn't have been able to process or interpret it even if human noses were practically useless next to a canines. It was a smell that the cyborg dog had been trained to recognise. The metal/ceramic and lubricant smell of a knightmare frame.

Then a high powered anti armour sniper round blew clean through its head. The remaining two widowers turned towards the source of the attack and opened fire with their weapons even as they bounded through the trees. Then a voice echoed from the rifleman's loudspeaker "Jen, Gin return." The hounds headed back towards their master even as the rifleman turned its large guns towards the ground and fired anti air canister rounds that reduced entire stretches of trees to kindling.

Then on either side of him the enemy appeared. They barely resembled knightmares. Their surfaces were smooth and rounded almost like a sea creature. Their hulls were a dark green barely visible under the thick camo netting that covered them. They had no heads simply a row of sensors across their chests. They charged towards him and their knightmare rifles made faint whumping sounds as they fired. But the rounds deflected off the Riflemans thick armour. One of them fired slash harkens even as it leapt sideways avoiding a hail of canister shot. Unfortunately for the pilot the anti air laser weapon on the mechs other arm struck its right leg. The crippled knightmare fell on its side and the pilot ejected. The second flung out its arm as it sped past. The rifleman's torso turned around as it brought its weapons to bear.

The other knightmares retreated back into the forest as the widowers back mounted weapons tracked them.

The Rifleman mech strode forwards depressing its heavy guns. Lasers and canister round shattered the landscape in fire and shrapnel. The sporadic sniper rounds being fired at the mech stopped. Then the sticky demo pack that had been attached to its leg detonated. It was tritonal EX a high powered plastic demolition explosive used to destroy reinforced steel bridges. The sheer impact shuddered the mech and it fell to its knees. The armour of the right leg was blasted apart revealing torn and burning synthetic muscle cables beneath. Inside the cockpit the pilot cursed as the mechs damage systems informed him that firing the gauss rail guns was no longer possible. The mech couldn't brace against the recoil anymore. Instead he shifted to the Anti aircraft lasers while his coordinator opened up a general channel to the rest of the anti air brigade.

"This is archer unit 3, We're under attack by unidentified assailants. The mech's motivation systems have been crippled with high explosives. Minimal movement possible. We're down to laser weaponry and we only have 40 shots until the lenses run out. The enemy is deploying some kind of thermal masking system." His sensors looked down as the surviving widowers tore apart the fallen knightmare with their sharpened metal jaws. Brief shots from the raven drones showed the other knightmares retreating but the movements were so fleeting that getting a target lock was next to impossible especially considering that Riflemans were meant to engage aerial targets at long range.

Suddenly a cold voice broke in "This is Shinigami calling in via relay raven 46A transmit visual feed now."

"Relaying sir." The soldier transmitted the visual data to one of the raven drones nearby which then relayed the signal further. The soldier cursed under his breath as the mechs computer relayed the status reports. The internal metal bones of the mech had not broken but there were multiple fractures through the structure and half the motivator cables were a melted and burnt mess. It would be all the rifleman could do to stay standing much less to move its torso enough to engage high speed aircraft. He set up a com link to coordinate only to receive an alert that the raven drone he'd just used was inactive. Then another one dropped from the sky. "The bastards are targeting the drones shift all ravens to evasion mode 2"

Then the jamming tower that they'd been guarding exploded as well.

**Narita, Highway route 26**

The Samurai

On a distant road two trucks were speeding towards Narita. Inside were Tohdoh and his chosen warriors the four holy swords. As tohdoh listened in on a radio his eyes narrowed. "Asahina rig the trucks for auto pilot. Then contact the others. Prep the Burai Kai's for deployment."

The bespectacled driver looked at his leader. "Sir"

"They've blocked off all the entrances. So the attack has already begun."

**Narita mountain, South side.**

The Reaper

The reaper had stopped in the shadow of a cliff while its pilot reviewed the visual imagery. Inside the darkened cockpit Death cursed.

"My Lord Zero. We have a problem."

"What is it Death?"

"Ranger knightmares." Luther paused in his cockpit while he raised his hand to his prosthetic eye. "Cornelia has called in the Brittanian SAS and they just crippled Archer 3." Another warning signal appeared. "As well as taking out the jamming tower in the north east quadrant.

Lelouch gave a cold smile. "Clever, clever Cornelia. They probably set up shop in the area before we did."

Lady Kami's voice came over the intercom. "Going from what happened at Shinjuku she'll have them operating as an independent unit."

"True but that AA unit they've disabled is on the other side of the mountain from us. They'll never be able to reach us in time to support Cornelia. Luthur proceed to the G-1 Base. Once you have destroyed it hunt down those rangers."

"Yes, however punching a hole in the AA net diminishes our ability to defend from an external aerial attack. Remember these are rangers I wouldn't be surprised if there was more than one unit. What's your current status?"

Zero linked up his mechs cameras to the data being fed to Luthur. "Optimal we will be moving on Cornelia as soon as these stragglers are dealt with."

Zero watched dispassionately as Kallen attacked ten Brittanian knightmares and won. It was different to how he fought. In the Strife he engaged at range. His movements calculated, precise, focused on footing and firing position.

The Guren … danced. There was no other word for it. Kallen sent it weaving amongst the enemy kicking one in the head with a landspinner. She ducked behind the knightmare used a brief blast of the wave surger to cripple it and then flung it to be destroyed by the frantic fire of its fellows. She leapt upwards in the air and used the slash harken affixed to the end of her short forked golden sword to smash right into another's factsphere. Then retracted it so as to bring her burning red claw right on top of him. Exploding the knightmare and then ramming the sharpened claws into the cockpit of a third enemy frame. They couldn't even touch her as she effortlessly tore them all apart.

Behind him at her console the Lady Kami was slightly awed. "Good gods that is the most beautiful terror I've ever seen." As the Guren disintegrated both of a knightmares arms in quick succession. Then it's legs leaving the cripple helpless on the ground.

"Are you getting this feed my brother?" Lelouch asked as the system recorded the spectacle of terrifying grace in front of him. Luthur's bone masked visage stared out of a screen at him

"Aye." Luthur's voice even through the synthesiser sounded wistful. "She is the Fury." They both paused in silence as Kallen extended her arm and the last of the purebloods was destroyed in the metal buckling red blast of the radiant wave surger.

She retracted the arm and the heatwash of the surger's discharge ignited the sakuradite spilled at her feet surrounding the Guren in a wall of flame.

Kallen grinned inside her cockpit. "I won't lose with this Guren mark 2"

Authors note

Derain: If you enemy is dumb enough to start talking while he's fighting you smash him before he finishes. Best example of this strategy the Avengers movie where the whole good guy plan revolved around never letting Loki finish a dramatic speech.

Luthur: Microwaving Kewell alive and then dropping him in a forest fire. Interesting choice.

Kallen: I think your sense of humour may be contagious.

Lelouch: Hang on a minute. The Brittanian SAS? They didn't turn up in the Canon.

Derain: Well no but then you hadn't demonstrated you possessed lightning guns and flying tanks in the canon had you? Cause and effect Lelouch. Oh and while most knightmare pilots may adopt some pseudo chivalric tactics the rangers don't. They are commando knightmares piloted by the most devious, ruthless bastards in the Brittanian special forces.

Luther: I'll testify to that.

Cornelia: Oh and their use of demolition explosives on the rifleman is very good. I think what happens at Narita might form the basis for an anti mech doctrine.

Derain: Well its not like i intended this battle to be completely one sided. Though only barely.

Skull faced helmet guy: Die in the name of the son of heaven brittanian dog.

Derain: Anyhow we have come to the point in the canon where we ended the first episode set at Narita. So we might just take a look at what's going outside Narita in the next chapter before returning to all the kaboom moments on the mountain. Or maybe not i'm undecided.

Kewell: The robot dogs can smell knightmares?

Cidaea: Super advanced chemical sensor systems wired into the section of their brain meant to interpret smell.

Emmy: All the better to find you with. And kill you hehehehe

Derain: Ah Dr Cidaea incredibly brilliant and madder than a sack full of weasels.

Cidaea: Hmm on the subject of things happening in the rest of Japan heres a little preview

Holy crap, they're coming out of the goddamn walls!


	22. Chapter 22

_Walk softly and carry a big gun_

Chapter 22

Across Japan the countdown ended. In bunkers and sewers. In grass, and underwater. A digital timer ran down to zero and a pre-recorded message attached to it played out for all those waiting close to it. They all knew their purpose their objectives. They had all trained and prepared for this moment. The moment that Death began to speak.

"Hear me brothers and sisters. For now is the time for words. Not in a gathering hall or martialling field. Not in a television address to all the world. Here, now in the brief moments before the breaking of the storm. As your mech weapons tick to readiness." A camo covered Ronin clenched its fist. "As you grip the haft of your weapon kneeling in the wilderness beyond the enemies sight." A man drew a kantana from its sheath. "As you sit in your transport awaiting the moment the doors open and you go forth to war." In a darkened chamber a soldier loaded his rifle.

"Even now I feel your anticipation my kindred. We are called from different walks of life, different nations, different homes but all of us left the world above behind. We went below while Brittanian burned, pillaged and subjugated those we left behind. In the cold darkness we forged ourselves and waited. As the bodies of the imperial family were incinerated like so much garbage and the sacred mountain was defiled we waited. As wives, children, fathers and brothers across Japan and in every nation we called home suffered we waited. As the Brittania gorged itself like a starving pig upon all we loved we waited. We wait no longer.

Look up at the sky and realise that this is no mere raid before vanishing back into the depths covering our tracks behind us. This day the shadow is cast aside. You will sear the vision of our enemies with the pure brilliance of your hatred, your discipline, and your skill. You will scream our names into their dying faces as we punish them for their weakness. As we tear their beating hearts from their chests they will know that the victory they claimed over us was never real. A feeble dream we allowed them.

For those of you who have been ordered to take captives remember that hatred must also have purpose. Only those who are fighting us are worthy of your hate. Do not punish or mistreat your prisoners. We will treat our foes with dignity not out of respect but so they may know the depths of our contempt for them." In that moment they could all feel the disdain dripping from Deaths voice.

"Feel no shame in any emotion you feel in this moment. If anger, channel it. If hatred let it guide your hand. If fear. Oh kindred fear keeps you alive. Let the fear drive your forwards. Use it. Take you fear and it make it a fear of failure." Then the voice of death became exuberant. "Go forth my brothers and sisters. Go forth Black knights and break them body and soul."

FULL ALERT. Activation Echo- Echo- Banshee-Katana. All attack teams commence operations.

**Area 11, South island, East coast Nakamura Harbour East 2017 ATB **

The attacks began and the first one was as painful as it was spectacular. The sakuradite supertanker ship Texas Swallow had just finished receiving its full load of liquid sakuradite. It was 500 meters away from the shoreline and heading east. A kilometre down the coast famine sat on an empty beach in her grey armour, watching through binoculars. She sipped a pina colada through a straw then she pressed a button on a small computer next to her. In less than a second the tanker ceased to exist. Transforming into an expanding pink hued fireball and generating a shockwave that shattered windows and eardrums. Then she tapped the button again and all the loading cranes at the docks began to explode as well.

**Area 11, North Island, sector seven, VTOL support base IG-32 **

The VTOL base followed the pattern for most Brittanian bases it had a pentagonal perimeter wall and lay at the centre of a clear zone providing an uncluttered killing field all around. It had fixed AA weapons within the perimeter and a dedicated security net in the event anyone tried sneaking up on it.

A convoy of large trucks had appeared at the airbase entrance. The gate guard looked at the base entry schedule and the confirmed the delivery of fresh food supplies and replacement parts. However as per regulation the trucks passed over a weight panel and the bases computers confirmed they were not carrying anything over the stated weight load. The guard looked again at the requisition forms the somewhat bored looking co driver had handed to him. Then he called the base commander.

Inside his command tower colonel Wallace Armsley sipped his coffee while he scrutinised the clearance documents that had been forwarded. "Well how about that. Requisitions are actually giving us our supplies on time. Next thing you know we wont be able to use the base's coffee as roofing tar anymore."

As part of Brittanian strategy when securing an area they established multiple fortified airbases around the country. These bases served as staging grounds for rapid deployment VTOL gunships and knightmare carriers. Since VTOLS didn't require very large landing fields they were able to devote more effort to defensive perimeters and anti missile systems as well as large barracks and hangars for knightmares. Any insurgence could be quickly crushed as rapid reaction forces could drop knightmares and infantry into a hot zone anywhere supported by VTOL gunships.

Resistance fighters found it difficult to launch attacks since blowing up something as small as a post office could see knightmares dropping on your head in under thirty minutes. At least that was the theory. Timed explosives were wonderful tool for making sure that you weren't in the area when someone came to investigate whatever you destroyed and the recent attacks over the past few weeks had been based on indirect sabotage or hit and run. Still the guerrilla fighters hadn't had it all their own way. Armsley had already recommended commendations for Vendin team for their elimination of two terrorist squads as well as a safehouse.

Alert signals popped up on the large digital map that showed their immediate operations area. "Sir we've got a report of resistance fighters attacking the nearby settlement of Clairsbrook. They've killed the knightpolice detachment and are currently moving on armoury depot 12."

The base immediately shifted to high alert status and as per standard protocol two. Knightmares and a support squad moved to escort the newly arrived convoy to its unloading area. As the first boom gate rose the truck drove forward to the main gate where the escort was waiting. The co driver was staying with the first guard. Then the truck stopped halfway through the gate and immediately between its escort. The man near the gate guard ran behind one of the other vans and took cover.

The lead truck had actually been converted into an Improvised explosive device. In that it had been manufactured for its purpose from a variety of different components some of which had never been intended for what they being used for. A solid partition both sides concave in shape had been run lengthwise though the trucks large cargo container. The outer surfaces had been coated in explosives used in mining. And on the outside of that was a packed layer of scrap metal, broken glass, screws and even a kitchen sink.

In essence the vehicle was transformed into a directionalised high explosive mine that sent a blastwave out to either side of it. It took out the entire gate the wall around it the knightmares who'd approached it as well as the two infantry squads who were torn apart like toys painting the concrete with their shredded bodies. The reinforced container sections of the other three trucks survived and then opened. Revealing nine Burais painted in the colours of the Black knights and a single Ronin. They charged through the smoke and flame, lifted knightmare scale cannons to their shoulders and opened fire. Heavy munitions streaked across the VTOL launch field generating multiple explosions.

From his position in the command tower Armsley gritted his teeth in shock and dismay. But even as another explosion rocked the base he knew that those few knightmares could not hope to beat the bases own compliment of knightmares._ So what the hell were they trying to do? They're hanging back and there are two army bases within twenty minutes of us not counting our own garrison. They didn't attack the tower or even try destroying our fuel storage. If someone was going to launch such a suicidal attack on us you'd think they would at least be trying to do more damage_. Then one of the radar officers yelled out in alarm "Sir missiles incoming." He looked out and could see the faint traces of missile exhaust coming over the horizon. Then he looked out across the airfield where the smoking ruins of the bases AA and AM defence systems were. "Oh you clever bastards."

15 kilometers away a trio of enormous Mount Fuji class Heavy mecha had finished firing their payloads of extended range missiles. The missiles in question were EU built Longbows from Magdeburg munitions with an effective range of 22 kilometers which had been stored in the enormous MLRS pods on the vehicles shoulders. Their targets in this case were all three of Sector Seven's VTOL bases. As the missiles finished their attack runs some scattered into mini bomblets that rained onto exposed aircraft before detonating in a series of micro-explosions. Others were pure chemical warheads that crashed into hangars, control towers, storage depots and of course fuel tanks. Within thirty seconds not a single building was left standing as the hardened structure penetrator missiles ripped the bases apart. Commander Armsley didn't make it out.

**Area 11, Sector 3 Kironima Barracks - Attached to Armoury depot 17. **

Kironima Barracks was a supply depot built on the edge of a mostly destroyed Japanese town which provided the labour for the nearby settlements construction. The soldiers manning the base were going about their normal routines until...

An explosion in outer area of the base saw the ground give way and large holes opened up in the street outside and within the base perimeter. Smoke bombs were flung out obscuring visibility further.

"Die Brittanians." The rebels made guttural cries as they emerged from the holes wrapped in pale cloth and improvised gear firing weapons even as heavy support teams emerged from sidestreets to pin down the men in the guard towers.

In the base command room the senior officer ordered a general alert. Only for his communications tech to tell him they couldn't

"The landlines have been cut and we're being jammed on all frequencies, we can't get word out."

Then a voice came in on the bases own intercom. Even as all the security cameras showing them the attackers turned off.

"Colonel Aurel you will surrender yourself and your soldiers into military custody this base and all its contents are now the property of the Black Knights."

Aurel was too pissed off to feel really afraid. "It'll be a cold day in hell before I surrender to elevens."

In the streets outside a soldier in the body armour of black knights infantry spoke into his radio. "Colonel Aurel I will expect your surrender momentarily." Then he switched to a different frequency.

"Doctor Cidaea I believe you heard that."

In an abandoned subway tunnel the arachnoid cyborg lady crouched before her computer screens and laughed. "Oh yes and thank you so much for letting me observe my pets performance so close. You have orders I presume?"

"They have clustered infantry too close to the main armoury for us to risk using heavy weapons. Release the beasts. Limit their engagement zone to the east barracks and the central armoury. Once they see what's going on perhaps those surviving will surrender."

Corporal Belsmith and his men took cover behind barricades covering the main entrance to the East barracks. They hauled up a pair of heavy support guns and focused them on the main entrance to the base. Even through the obscuring smoke grenades that were being tossed over the walls he was confident that the enemy couldn't hope to assault them successfully before support came. Then the radio signal he had open to the guards at the armoury went crazy

"Heeeeekakakakaka."

"What the fuck is thaaaaat."

"Contact contact we're being attacked by things they're no get off me eeaghegahggg."

The smoke parted again and corporal Belsmith saw what was coming. They were crawling over the wall dozens and dozens of them. Four limbed creatures of bulging flesh, sickened hide, and gleaming metal. The rebels blasted holes in the walls and moved in behind them firing over the heads of their pet monsters. The creatures were as individualistic as their masters. Some seemed mostly hide. Others were all exposed muscle and gleaming steel. Some had small submachine guns wired into their backs firing over their heads. Others had extending mantis like cyberlimbs that darted forwards as they ran. But all of them had the same razor filled mouth and gleaming red eyes connected to a gaunt pale muzzle.

His men fired into them but instead of fleeing like animals the creatures bounded across the ground with directed purpose. Dodging and weaving to avoid weapons fire. Some were killed but it took multiple hits to fell them. These men were garrison soldiers and faced with a threat so utterly bizarre so completely outside their training they began to panic as the skittering howling horde of monsters reached their lines. Then there was another shock as the creatures leapt forwards towards them by twenty feet. One's raised mantis limbs darted forwards striking right through a man's chest as another creature tore at his leg.

"Retreat inside get them into firing zones." As they fell back inside he saw one man prime a grenade and toss it before two of the creature fell on him and crushed his windpipe with their jaws. It was a nightmare, men screamed beasts howled and Belsmith swore as they fell back into the barracks choking the entrance with the bodies of the monsters. Then the creatures stopped. They pulled back from the door. Silence reigned.

"Where did they go?"

Then they heard a scratching sound. And the floor gave way in a corner of the room. Men screamed as clawed hands reached up and pulled them into the depths. Another creature smashed right through the thin interior plywood walls and bit a soldiers head off.

The beasts descended and Belsmith turned his service automatic on himself so he didn't have to see what they were doing to his men.

A call came in over the radio. The discipline of the speakers voice not completly concealing his fear. "This is colonel Aurel. I hereby surrender my men and expect to be treated with all due respect under the Geneva accords."

"Of course Colonel you have my assurance that all of your surviving soldiers shall be treated with dignity. Now begin exiting the building with your hands above your heads."

The Brittanian soldiers exited the facility unarmed while the somewhat ragtag mix of black knight infantry and civilian clothed resistance fighters moved in. The prisoners were handcuffed and then marched towards the trucks that were even now driving through the opened base gates. One of them threw up as he saw a pair of the renders eating the corpse of a platoon sergeant.

The leader of the rebel's band addressed his subordinates.

"Alright combat overwatch confirms that we won't be troubled for at least half an hour. I want this base stripped. Firearms, ammo and body armour come first. When I give the order to leave we leave. Deploy the harvester drones." Disturbing giant black metal arachnoids came up out of the hole in the street and clanked alongside the trucks being loaded with military material and weapons. Efficiently like a colony of ants they disassembled machinery, grabbed crates and scavenged everything they could. Including corpses. For the most part the creatures picked up the torn and dismembered bodies of the Brittanians and chucked them onto a corpsepile which had been set alight. However with the more intact ones they would analyse the corpse for a while before picking up the cadaver sealing it in a body bag and carrying it over to one of the vehicles. The reek of burning flesh went unnoticed by the robots as the black knight guerrilla fighters adjusted their rebreather masks. As the trucks drove away the harvester drones carried their loot of flesh and equipment down into the depths.

**East cost of Area 11, Caerleon airbase 120 kilometers south east of Narita.**

Unlike the many subsidiary VTOL support bases across the Country the Air Base located near the primary settlement was a fully equipped military defensive area meant to support heavy bombers, high speed air superiority fighters and the larger carrier planes that hauled the short ranged knightmare VTOLS to their deployment zones. It lay next to the shoreline and maintained a three kilometre clear zone in every direction inland. The perimeter was blocked with barbed wire and raised concrete beams. There were three primary runways as well as a defensive garrison of forty knightmares minimum. Across the tarmac nine high speed missile bombers were preparing to launch. Princess Cornelia had dropped out of contact as soon as the attacks began across Area 11 all attempts to inform the viceroy of the situation were met with silence. The base commander had taken initiative and ordered them towards Narita. It would take thirty minutes at maximum speed for those craft to reach Cornelia's location. Contacting the viceroy was now a matter of even greater urgency. Their hadn't been time to issue a press blackout before the enormity of what was happening and if the news learnt that no one could contact Cornelia, outright panic could ensue.

The other bases might have fallen to infiltration but not Caerleon. The entire base was on high alert no one was allowed in or out of the base perimeter. Knightmare teams were on patrol as well as twenty gunships.

Then from the shoreline five giant metal shapes blasted straight up out of the water. Boosters on their backs and legs held them aloft as they soared leaping seven hundred meters. They were all painted black. The front section of the chest torsos curved forward like the prow of a boat. The heads were triangular wedges with blue optics along the sides and antenna jutting out behind them. Two of them had arms that ended only in fixed weapons As well as larger guns strapped to their shoulders. Two more followed the same pattern but with boxy missile pods attached to their shoulders.

Their leader was different his mech had red lines along it and its head had been painted to resemble the fanged maw of a dragon. Unlike the others its arms ended in cruel taloned metal hands. The right gripped an extended spear with two blades held parallel at the end. The left held an enormous katana that was wreathed in flames as the spinning chainblades heated the air. A small rotating minigun fired from his right shoulder.

"I am the Lord of Blades, Brittanians and we have come to destroy you."

One of them raised its forearms and laser beams began tearing into the bombers as they continued to launch. One plane was cut in half. A second had its wing sheared off and tore itself apart as it rolled. A third took off only to explode as a final beam found its fuel tank. A missile caught a fourth bomber in the air but then they accelerated away. Their commander had ordered them to continue to Narita regardless of what happened at the base. The mechs ran their metal feet digging into the tarmac as they traversed the primary runway and entered the central facilities of the airfield

The mechs moved with aweful precision covering one another. Their torsos turning left and right independent of their legs as they systematically destroyed everything they saw. As they passed hangers they levelled the buildings with precise fire at weakpoints bringing the roofs down on top of any planes they hadn't destroyed with their guns Smaller machine guns affixed to their torsos and backs killed any military personnel they saw. Heavy cannon blasted apart structures and support vehicles while incendiary missiles turned entire areas into fields of fire that the mechs effortlessly walked through.

As they moved deeper a team of knightmares attacked. The lord of blades engaged his boosters and crushed a knightmare into scrap by ramming it against a wall. Then he used his chainsword to slice the one next to him into shreds. The minigun shot a third and then he launched into the air again landing on top of a knightmare that was firing from the roof of a pilots barracks. The gravitic suspension system switched off and the full weight of the 60 ton machine destroyed the knightmare and smashed through the roof.

Then one of the gun toting mecha turned to where its sensors told it enemy knightmares were located. On the other side of a storage shed.

The enormous spinning chain guns at the ends of its arms unleashed an endless hail of death that went right through the walls and hit the knightmares on the other side. The knightmares returned fire but their rounds bounced off the curved metal plate. The armour on the Nobuseri was composed of metallurgical alloys made in zero gravity before being compressed into hyper dense lattices of unbreachable steel. The result was a protective shield five times stronger than modern tank armour could ever be. The mech charged forwards the fibre bundle muscles propelling it at a loping gate. It crashed through what remained of the buildings walls like they were thin curtains, panels on its chest opened and unleashed a fullisade of short range missiles into the survivors. With the immediate area cleared a quick tac update came through the network. The attacks at two nearby VTOL bases had been repulsed. While it was diminished, enemy air support was inbound along with additional knightmare teams. Three VTOL gunships swept around the buildings edge only to be destroyed as the blade wielding Nobuseri leapt into the air with its boosters and cut one in half with its burning sword even as his fellows blasted the other gunship cockpits with laser blasts.

Inside his cockpit the silver helmed lord of blades opened a communication line.

"Be advised command there are five high speed bombers that launched before our attack. Relay to our Narita forces that they can expect company." He switched to the laser link with his own troops.

"Aroniski change of plans strafe airfield three and then target fuel depot two we don't have time to destroy anymore of the infrastructure."

Then he extended out his lengthened spear and a bolt of lightning shout from between the tines to destroy another knightmare.

The ground shook as a sixth mech stomped towards the undamaged section of the base. The mech dripped seawater as it ran across the clearzone. Unlike the others it had no jumpjets coming out of the water with its heavy arsenal while they had drawn the attention of the defenders. It turned its head towards the section of the airbase which were untouched by its comrades actions.

This mech's arms ended in hands which were devoted to carrying an enormous heavy cannon. The weapon was a black cylinder the ends of the barrel were crowned with sharpened spikes. Red cables ran along the right arm to where they slotted into the shoulder. Over each shoulder a knightmare rifle swivelled on a shortened extendable arm. Smaller weapons tracking for anything that would be able to avoid the fire of whatever the hell that massive gun shot. One of the guns turned a full 180 degrees and ripped apart a knightmare that had been moving into position behind the gigantic monstrosity. The monster braced itself as a deadly hum permeated the air around it and it raised its cannon.

The graser cannon made a sound akin to a chainsaw as a searing beam of energy lashed out of the barrel. The air warped as the heatwave of the weapon created a shimmer effect. The driver swung the weapon and for three seconds a ray of hyper concentrated gamma radiation destroyed everything it touched. Metal, flesh, stone, and fuel. There was no time for any material to melt or burn. All were torn apart shattering into superheated fragments by the energy transfer. A fighter jet shot skywards snapped in half. Men were reduced to blasted shadows on the walls. In heartbeats an airfield was reduced to a charnel house.

It shifted its aim and this time cut the base control tower in half causing it to slowly topple over like a pruned bush. The mech was already turning towards its primary target a reinforced windowless building further down the field. One of the three storage silos which housed the sakuradite enriched jet fuel of Brittanians elite supersonic fighter and strike bombers.

"Base fuel stockpile locked in. Shifting beam intensity to hardened structure demolition." Now the faint emerald light was gone instead a thinner beam that burned a searing white shot from the barrel.

The hardened bunker walls were no resistance. Inside the air ignited and a wall front of flame rushed down every passageway. The rapid thermal expansion of the Graser generating a series of explosions that tore the bunker apart. Then the beam reached the interior section that stored the sakuradite enriched jet fuel.

The entire section of the base went up in an enormous pillar of pink tinged flame. A shockfront sent a wall of shrapnel and smoke outwards in all directions. The mech stood unyielding against the blastwave even as small jeeps and human bodies flew through the air splattering off its armour like bugs in a windstorm. Massive plumes of steam shot from the gun even as warning signs appeared in the cockpit. Then the Lord of Blades voice echoed over the communicators. "33 percent fuel stockpile destroyed 43 percent of base facilities destroyed. Estimate 75 percent of aircraft irrevocably terminated. Enemy support is inbound. Fallback"

"Yes Lord of Blades." As the mecha retreated back into the ocean.

"Commence retreat."

As one the Nobuseri turned and strode out of the flaming hell they had created. And across Area 11 the Black Knights took advantage of the leaderless confusion of their enemies, spreading destruction and panic. Everything that could be stolen they took. Everything else they burned.

Authors note

Derain: That's right Brittanians THIS … IS … WAR! Now is the time to strike. The Brittanians can't contact their viceroy they are vulnerable show no mercy ahahahah.

Euphemia: I think I will go throw up in the corner now. Blurggghhha

Suzaku: You are a sick, sick man Derain.

Derain: ZERG RUSH hahahah. Death. Death by being eaten by horrible cyborg mutant monster dogs. Oh the horror, the horror.

Emmy: Yes feast my pretties. Feast, feast hahahahahahah.

Luthur: Yes and now the bodies of the dead shall be made to serve our twisted purpose. Waste not want not.

Lelouch: Indeed we steal everything so as to conserve our own resources. Taking the weapons of your enemy is a standard strategy in many resistance movements. And as much as Luthur hates to admit it, Brittanian regular projectile infantry rifles are better than the black knight equivalent.

Luthur: Humph. Fine until we can give lasers to all the non power armoured troops we will have to use the Brittanians stuff. Grump grump.

Lelouch: Plus blowing up a lot of the VTOL support bases so that the enemy can't drop knightmares anywhere you turn up is a good thing. Most of season one seemed to revolve around the black knights seeking to achieve their objectives before Brittania's massive aerial armada shows up.

Famine: Yes now is the time for explosions and also famine. Famine is when you run out of things you can't do without. The necessities of life. Food and water of course but in the modern age this includes things like electricity, communications and oh vital resources like fuel or _sakuradite_. I wonder how much blowing up that tanker and damaging those docks will effect sakuradite transport. Hehehehe

Derain: Yes things will get darker and harsher soon enough. Remember how brutally the Brittanians cracked down in season 2 after the black rebellions? We're going to reach that point a lot faster now. Escalation is in the air. Along with the Lord of blades who makes his reappearance since that council meeting, leading an attack force of Nobuseri to completely stomp a Brittanian airfield. For anyone who wonder why this is such a surprise keep in mind that up until now the black knights have been hitting soft targets like any regular guerrilla army. Defending civilians, destroying trains, small ambushes and launching vigilante attacks. Now in a complete reversal they are launching full attacks simultaneously against fortified military hard targets. Yep shock and awe people.

Lord of Blades: Hail we are all dead

Derain: And the dead are without number.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

"_You fool as if it matters how a man falls down."_

"_When the fall is all that is left, it matters a great deal."_

**Narita Mountains, Area 11, 2017 ATB**

The Princess and the Knight

"I still can't raise generals Alex or Darlton it looks like the second division has been wiped out."

Inside the ASEEC trailer Lloyd Asplund earl of pudding watched his screens with interest. Although for him the technical details of how all this destruction came about was more compelling than the actual deaths.

In the cockpit of the Lancelot Suzaku looked down with concern. "What's going on?"

"It's very unnatural it seems a landslide was created. But there's nothing we can do now

"Good news this may be our chance."

Cecile immediately scolded him. "Lloyd you're so brash."

"How?"

Cecile closed her eyes tilted her head and grinned "Would you like a detailed explanation?"

"Uhm not really no"

In the G-1 base the command staff were looking at the same information with far greater dismay.

"Viceroy Cornelia is cut off from support."

"What the hell were those purebloods doing?"

Then a red faced officer burst into the command room.

"Sub viceroy Euphemia, a courier just arrived from outside the engagement zone. He had to drive in because all landline communications have been cut."

Euphemia was ordinarily so calm and cheerful. Yet she'd never felt such fear for her big sister before. Thus the unexpected anger and stress in her voice was all the more intimidating for its novelty "What could be so urgent at a time like this?"

The officer swallowed nervously. "There are multiple attacks occurring all across Area 11. He was sent to immediately establish communications with Viceroy Cornelia."

"Really? Well we'd like very much to do that ourselves right now."

The Devil and the Lady

"Get them." infantry teams fired mortars, Tanks and APCs advanced downwards and TITAN armoured troopers charged through the forest as the black knights attacked Cornelia's survivors. Guided by Zero's commands they encircled pockets of resistance and killed their enemies with indirect fire. But no battle is perfect. Ambushed soldiers fired back, missiles flung men through the air. More than one black knight was dragged screaming from the field by a combat medic. Others were left where they lay dead and silent. Still the line representing Zero's forces advanced downwards absorbing pockets of resistance as inexorably as the tide. In the Strife, Zero's hands danced over the holographic keyboards like a pianist while Kami piloted the Strife. His highly trained mind picking out weaknesses and directing forces with terse digital commands. The artistry of his tactical command was beautiful and terrible.

_Yes fight on my knights, if you survive this battle you will be true warriors. And afterwards_ … His eyes narrowed on a feed from a raven drone showing how Cornelia had gathered what remained of her forces further down the mountainside.

Meanwhile a surviving VTOL gunship was watching Cornelia from a distance as well. The pilot held position just above the treeline. He couldn't risk rising higher because of fear he'd get hit by another of those terrible rail guns. His co pilot was relaying what they saw to the G-1. "Viceroy Cornelia is gathering on the keshhhsk" the co pilot punched the console and the signal firmed up. "She's gathered her forces further down the mountain at point two five."

"Is she engaging the enemy?"

"No there's enemy forces moving down from the mountain but they haven't reached her. Wait there's something's approaching the viceroy from behind."

Travelling up a smaller service road to where Cornelia was five knightmares emerged from the confines of their transport trucks. They had ornate horns that bent back behind the cockpit of the frames. In their hands they each held the ornate chain katanas that had been purchased from Shinigami. The Burai had been modified far beyond their original specs to focus on a single aspect of combat - close range fighting.

Inside his white command Burai Kai Tohdoh relayed his orders to his chosen warriors. "Listen if this landslide was man made, then Cornelia will be completely isolated from support. Capture viceroy Cornelia take revenge for what happened seven years ago."

"Yes sir for the honour of the four holy swords."

Then the Burai Kai's burst from the forest and those Sutherlands who had been looking in the wrong direction were all mechanically disembowelled from behind.

"What the hell?"

"Protect her highness!"

Tohdohs terse commands echoed as the Burai kai's advanced. "Surround them."

"The Japan liberation front?"

"Slash and encircle." The Burai Kais began to cross each others paths surrounding the enemy in a tightening noose that saw another knightmare slashed by two burai kais going in opposite directions.

"These are not just any Burais"

"This reminds me of seven years ago."

"But it's different this time. Now we have knightmares too."

The frames weaved in amongst the knightmares dodging aside the clumsy lance strikes of the Sutherlands before twisting the katana's in their hands and carving the frames in twain.

One of the swords tried to attack Cornelia but she charged in under his guard and tore his left arm off with her lance. "Insolent wretch." Then she fell back while her guard opened fire on the swerving knightmare.

"Guildford I think I have a way to turn this around. After you drive them back meet me at point 9." Then Cornelia accelerated away from the battlefield.

Guildford narrowed his eyes as he stared at the tactical plot. "Very well viceroy."

Inside his burai Tohdoh received a message. "Well my samurai it took you long enough."

"Lady Kami? Am I to assume you're here with Zero." Tohdohs voice was less then pleased.

"My Samurai this is not the time to be upset over Kusakabe. The Brittanians stand on the brink of total rout. Your radios on there own will not penetrate the jamming field but I can relay them through one of our drones to put you in touch with General Katase. Shift your frequency to 101.7 and it will pick it up."

The Burai kai sliced a lance in half and then decapitated a Sutherland

"Thank you my Lady. We will talk about this later."

"I'm sure."

Tohdoh adjusted the frequency and soon the General's face appeared on his communicator.

"Tohdoh you made it."

"Sorry for being late general what your status?"

'Our forces are concentrated eastwards" a tactical map showing the positions of the JLF appeared. 'Can you beat them?'

"Yes but only if you send your remaining forces to pressure them now. Keep the Brittanians from aiding Cornelia. We have a chance to turn this entire war around."

The green haired spectacle wearing sword spoke up "Colonel Tohdoh what of Cornelia?"

"If Zero's the man I think he is then he's moving into position right now." _With Lady Kami perhaps._

Inside his knightmare Guildford furrowed his brow as he saw the Burai weave across the battlefield. _I've heard that area 11 has its shining knight could this be Tohdoh?_ "Very well come and try me."

The Devil and the Lady

In the Strife, Zero had used a high powered relay to receive a strategic update on the situation outside of Narita. "Excellent they've succeeded in knocking out the entire western radar coverage from here to the coast. Our evacuation route is secured." Then his musing was interrupted.

"Cornelia's royal guard is under attack"

"What which team made the move?" Lelouch looked in surprise at his display "Tamaki have you engaged them?"

"Not us Boss it's the JLF they've turned up in some weird Burais and are carving up the Brits with swords. And Cornelia's gone."

"Already?" Zero paused a moment and turned back towards the Lady Kami.

It should have been impossible to convey smugness through a mask but somehow she did it. "Told you. Oh and I already set up a communication link for him with the general just in case you hadn't noticed."

"Humph Kallen are you in position?"

"Yeah and my quarry just showed up."

In her knightmare Cornelia was mentally kicking herself as the strange crimson knightmare appeared. She'd meant to turn the gorge into a trap for the JLF and now she was caught in it herself. "Damn it."

The Princess and the Knight

In the G-1 Base Euphemia looked at the ruin of the Brittanian army. Darlton's remaining men were being scattered by the forest fire that was consuming half the mountain. The JLF forces had reached the defensive perimeter around Narita and any hope of sending those troops to help Cornelia was finished. The whole country was apparently under attack and Cornelia was on her own trapped in a ravine with a strange red knightmare.

"Sub Viceroy Euphemia you must act, send up the G-1 Base."

"We can't there's a field hospital here. All the civilians have been evacuated from surrounding area and brought to this point. Besides Viceroy Cornelia ordered me not to move the G-1 Base that's why I just can't.

Then an image popped up on the com screen. In which the ever unflappable ASEEC director Lloyd Asplund grinned next to the utterly serious face of Suzaku. "Well hello ASEEC unit reporting for duty."

One of the officers snarled in annoyance. "What does the special core want here?"

Suzaku spoke up "Sub viceroy please order us into the battle."

"Looking to obtain glory for yourself hmm. Do you really believe that a single knightmare can be of any use with an eleven pilot?" The grey bearded officer didn't even try hiding the contempt in his voice.

But Lloyd would not be deterred. "Maybe but what's the harm in letting us try? Since its just one unit it won't look bad if we lose will it?"

But Euphemia's gaze turned from the bespectacled genius to see the lips of Suzaku mouthing silent words _Please Euphy_

"Very well Suzaku Kururugi. By my authority as Sub Viceroy I hereby order the Lancelot unit into battle to aid Viceroy Cornelia."

"Sub Viceroy" The officers gasped.

"Excellent you won't regret it."

In The ASEEC trailer robotic arms affixed a pair of enlarged skimmer devices to the lancelots feet while the Varis and MVS's were placed in their holsters. Ceciles calm voice went over the intercom as the preparations were completed.

"The Lancelot will be armed with the VARIS and using the Z-002 sandskimmers to navigate the terrain. Your mission assist Viceroy Cornelia."

As Suzaku sat in the cockpit Lloyds face appeared on the com unit.

"Tell me Suzaku more than anything you hate it when people die why is that?

"I'm in the military to stop people from dying."

"And that self contradiction will get you killed someday. Ahhumph." Lloyd was quickly silenced as Cecile muffled him.

Suzaku twisted the activation key and the Lancelot assumed a runners stance. "Lancelot now launching"

The Lancelot took off up the slope kicking up an enormous trail of dust that was noticed by Luthur as the Reaper hovered in the shadow of a cliff.

"Lord Zero the Lancelot is heading towards your location. Based on observed speed and the terrain he will arrive in seven point six minutes."

"He'll be too late then. Silence the G-1 Base."

"With pleasure my lord. Kakashi prepare to engage the shroud. Increase reactor output"

The lighting turned red inside the vehicle and a digital circle representing the reapers reactor temperature turned completely red. Kakashi spoke from his position behind Luthur "Reactor temperature spiking." The colour went down to a cooler orange. "Now holding steady."

"Divert power from the harvesters cannon we can't use it unless we want to irradiate innocent civilians. Maintain energy flow to sensors and prepare to arm the demolition explosives. This will require precision crippling of the G-1's systems as opposed to simply blowing it up. When we get close enough we deploy multiple phosphorous flashbangs followed by smoke bombs before deactivating the shroud. If we aren't going to kill everyone we have to make sure there's no way they can see exactly how we got that close. We can finish off whatever remains of Cornelia's Royal guard while we're there."

"Shroud engaged, heat sinks diverting temperature." The air around the reaper seemed to warp like the heat haze above the surface of a road. Then it vanished, only a telltale distortion in the air betraying its presence.

"Shroud optical distortion field holding steady. We are past the red line for the null sig system. At current output and expenditure we will have only 9 minutes before we have to vent heat or risk a critical meltdown."

"More than enough time."

The Queen and the Battle Maiden

"Cornelia." Kallen yelled through the Guren's com as she charged towards the hated viceroy.

"Lowborn scum." Cornelia fired her rifle in an instant only to see the enemy frame somersault over her firing arcs. It deflected her slash harkens using a small forked sword and then leapt towards her with its claw extended. But Cornelia had been piloting the Gloucester model since its creation and swerved aside. She thrust her lance at her enemy's side only to see it dodge in turn leaping backwards. "You've got some moves" Cornelia fired her harkens into a wall and pulled herself away from the Guren's counterattack.

Cornelia had kept herself fully apprised of the state of the art of knightmare construction and this thing moved with an agility unlike any frame she'd seen._ That's not a customised model. _Knightmare fire struck the wall near her and she dropped down. She turned and there standing on the ridge were more of those samurai-esque knightmares, Burais and an enormous angular machine that stood at twice the height of a knightmare levelling three separate weapons at her. It was obvious who it had to be. "Zero" if hatred could kill the venom in her voice would have obliterated him. No such luck.

"Indeed it is. Shall we celebrate at this reunion of ours? Of course you will have to surrender and after that there's some questions I would like to ask you. In case you're wondering your reinforcements aren't getting here. As for the rest of area 11 well we have been very busy. I win Cornelia."

"You're a fool Zero."_ There is no way that monstrosity could outmanouver me if I made it into the treeline. _Cornelia pointed her weapon at the Guren_. _"This one. If I beat this one I'm free and clear."

_Very well then. _ She raised her rifle to the heavens and then a specialised flare shot skywards and exploded in a brilliant purple ball of fire. In the blinding light the Gloucester charged forwards ramming her lance right at the Guren. But it dodged sideways and grasped the lance point. The giant metal claw surged with crimson energy the lance and the arm holding it began to buckle. Cornelia ejected the arm just before it disintegrated into fragments. She reversed and drew out her rifle preparing to fire at close range. A brief thump through the ground was all the warning she received before a precise shot from the strife took off the other arm at the shoulder. "Coward attacking from behind." The strife had landed in the canyon behind her and held its enormous sword rifle outwards.

"And your own tactics don't show elements of cowardice? This isn't a duel."

The Scarred and the Orange

Darlton and a few remaining knightmares accelerated barely keeping ahead of the flames even as mortar shells rained around them. The JLF were firing from the bare rock above the treeline confident the enemy couldn't attack them from close range now.

"Arrgh they've launched a pincer assault before we could regroup."

The harrier team came alongside him "Jeremiah reporting. The other harrier team is finished they managed to destroy two of the super tank's turrets but they kept trying to strafe instead of pulling back. The things weapons must have been automated they tracked and wiped them out in six seconds."

"What of the rest of our forces?"

"The fire scattered everyone. Its turned into an utter rout what's left of our men I can find are falling back"

Darlton closed his eyes for a moment in fevered concentration. Then he opened them. "Jeremiah leave me, get to the viceroy."

"I do not wish to abandon you sir."

"You fool if the viceroy is taken this will go from a defeat to utter catastrophe. Your harriers are the only units fast enough to reach her get moving."

"Yes my Lord."

The Devil and the Battle Maiden

Cornelia ran the transmitters in her Gloucesters horns to full power as she sent out her last command.

"Guildford my knight if you can hear this you and Darlton take care of Euphy. Get her out of here."

Cornelia's guard were standing back to back holding off Tohdoh's Burai's with rifle fire and slash harkens as they circled looking for any gap where they could charge in and destroy the Brittanians.

In his cockpit Guildford's face paled as he desperately tried to reply through the interference. "Viceroy?"

"I won't surrender."

"No Viceroy Cornelia."

"Zero as an imperial princess I'll fight to the last." She charged recklessly at the Strife.

"Actually no." Zero casually raised his sword rifle and shot her knightmare in the kneecaps sending it crashing into the dirt. Then he began walking the enormous mech towards her.

"Now let's get on with this." Then the canyon wall exploded inwards and in a hail of dust the white knightmare appeared the VARIS rifle held out in front of it.

_What in the heck? How did he get here so fast?_ Lelouch looked with amazement at the timer he'd set with Luthur's message _two and a half minutes?_

Back in the ASEEC trailer Lloyd clapped his hands in amusement. "He used the VARIS to blast his way through the debris that's our boy."

The Princess and the Reaper

Euphemia felt hope as she listened to the reports of the Lancelot engaging the enemy. "Yes he can do it he can with the Lancelot."

Suddenly the glass at the front of the cockpit turned a brilliant white that hurt to look upon. Every radio screamed. When their vision cleared all that could be seen was enormous billowing smoke clouds.

"An artillery strike?"

"No sir we can't."

"Skreeeeerrrkkkk" the close range communication with the forces defending the G-1 was buried in a high volume jamming signal that actually caused some of the screens to burn out from the overload.

"What's going on out there?"

Through the mists the Shinigami reaped. His mech floated silently dispatching knightmares with precision shots from his side arms. The weapons made a muted thump thump as he disabled his enemies before closing for swift kills with his wing blades. Then he pulled back vanishing again. At times he drew the harvester and simply used its massive scythe blade to carve his enemies in two. Overhead raven drones flew relaying a perfect tactical map of the field as he dodged weaved and even spun three sixty degrees over head, sideways and upside down around the hapless fire of the Brittanian ground forces. A soldier ran through the mist desperately succumbing to fear as an enormous shadow rose up behind him.

Euphemia moved closer to the mist wreathed windshield trying to discern something in the thickening mist and brief flashes of explosions.

Then the body of a soldier smacked onto the clear plexiglass. He was impaled to it like a bug by a sharpened metal spike that pushed through his body and penetrated the windshield. Cracks radiated outward as blood flowed from his terrible wound. Euphemia screamed in terror as the man feebly kicked before the spike retracted and he left a bloody smear as he fell.

Then the entire vehicle shuddered as a series of directed explosives placed over the armoured housing for the G-1's transmitters as well as the two engine systems in the 'legs' went off. The weapons didn't explode so much as create short lived lances of energy like plasma torches that burned straight through the sensitive systems of the G-1. The lights and screens went dead and what semblance of communications remained between the forces on either side of the landslide ceased completely.

"Tap, tap, tap." A sound like giant icepicks came down through the ceiling. Then it stopped.

Metal pinions plunged through the roof stabbing again and again. Then an enormous blade carved a rent right across the ceiling until it was peeled back by a skeletal hand. Rising above them framed by smoke and shadows was death itself. The ends of the metal wingtips dripped blood. The black emptiness within its hooded cowl looking down at the Brittanians in their crippled vehicle. Then a voice like a man at the bottom of a pit echoed.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here? Princess Euphemia I believe." Inside his cockpit Luthur was overjoyed at this stroke of luck. _Both princesses taken what a windfall but. _His eyes went to his execution list._ There's still twenty of the royal guard whose location I can't confirm if they're not here guarding Euphemia then where the hell did Cornelia send them?_

The Knight and the Battle Maiden

The white knightmare immediately put itself between Cornelia and the Guren

"Viceroy Cornelia I'm here to assist you."

"The special core, who authorised this?"

Meanwhile under his helmet Lelouch's eyebrow was twitching in sheer aggravation._ Him? Its him again? Oh well._ "Kallen destroy that knightmare it's interfered with us long enough."

"With pleasure." Kallen charged right at the Lancelot. "This is for Shinjuku."

Suzaku drew the VARIS and fired only to watch in amazement as the enemy Guren skated backwards in a circular arc that avoided the shot and sped it right towards him _It's as fast as the Lancelot?_

Kallen gunned the acceleration hard. "If I can just take it down."

Suzaku fired a pair of slash harkens only for the Guren to catch them on her sword blade and then cut the cables.

Suzaku stopped reversing and leapt towards the Guren swinging around his leg for a heavy kick. The Wavesurger clamped on the sandskimmer and the attachment began to disintegrate. Suzaku barely detached it in time before it fell to dust in the Guren's claw.

Suzaku drew his Mazer Vibration Swords and for the first time found himself in combat with a foe every bit as skilled and agile as he. The Lancelot and Guren leapt over one another, reversed, accelerated and attacked. It was like some twisted hybrid of a sword fight and an acrobatic display by breakdancing, kung fu rollerbladers. The Lancelot ducking the heavy sweeps of the Wave Surger even as the Guren deflected the MVS with its dagger, swiftly reversed and sidestepped out of the way. Suzaku flung the second sand skimmer at his foe's head only for her to leap to the left. Eventually Suzaku led the Guren to the edge of a cliff and charged forwards with his sword. Kallen switched tactics and caught the MVS in the Guren's claw. Red light flared and the sword exploded into fragments. "Is that all you've got?" The Guren reached out for the Lancelot's head.

Not missing a beat Suzaku pulled out the VARIS and fired only to watch the red knightmare raise up its terrible claw and _catch_ the energy ball.

"It can block the VARIS?" the energy of the VARIS slowly disappeared in the swirling crimson shield of the Surger. The Guren pulled back its claw and then. The ground gave way and the Guren stumbled backwards off the cliff.

The Reaper and the Princess

In the ruin of the G-1 the assembled Brittanians looked up at the macabre robot above them in utter silence. For two seconds.

One of the men pulled out a pistol and began firing ."Run princess glurk." A massive metal wingtip shot down past the monsters shoulder through the top of the mans skull and continued down into the metal floor beneath him ripping apart his body as it did.

"I was talking. Euphemia we don't deliberately target civilians and we really had no intention of coming after you. However by stepping onto the battle field you are now a legitimate _military_ target. Now then…" a large metal hand reached down through the hole in the floor. "Calmly step into my hand and I will take you prisoner. If you refuse I will take you anyway and kill everyone else in this room."

Euphemia had tears at the corner of her eyes as she saw the carnage left by the reaper. But she stepped forwards towards death metal hand. The claws closed gently around her. The featureless gaze of the shroud looked down. "I can see your fear, yet you did not hesitate for a second. Princess you … impress me. I promise that you will be treated in a civilised manner now let's. Wait." There was a tense silence broken only by the retching of one of the officers. The figure was still, even the metal wings ceased their terrible flexing. "No." The voice echoed with anger. "NO." The reaper dropped Euphemia to the floor of the ruined command chamber lifted off and headed up the mountain again at high speed.

"Princess Euphemia are you all right?"

"Oh no. Oh no. He's going after them he's going after …"

The Knight the Devil and the Battlemaiden

There are moments in battle when you feel that brief sense of impending danger. The certain knowledge that you must act now or die. Sometimes it is triggered by the faint sound of snapping twig or a change in the wind. Other times by the subconscious realisation that you have your back to a giant mech with big guns who doesn't have to worry about hitting his comrade anymore.

The Lancelot spun around and raised his arm shield even as lightning shot across the field towards him. The bolt struck the glowing shield and dissipated arcs of electricity spat all over the glowing green diamond before vanishing. Then a second barrel discharged and again the shield held although this time it flared brighter. A third bolt of lightning shot outwards. It was stopped as well. Although the emitters glowed so bright you couldn't see through the shield anymore and as lightning began to arc from the armplate the Strife fired all of its weapons a final time. The heavy rounds of the sniper canon and bolt rifle slammed into the shield and were deflected away but even with its legs braced the Lancelot was pushed back to the edge by the sheer force. Then a second volley was fired aimed at the ground around the Lancelot. The cliff edge by the frames left leg gave way and the knightmare's right arm flailed outwards as it struggled to stay standing. That flailing brought it beyond the edge of its shield and the Raiden fired.

The shield emitter on the Lancelots exposed arm burst into flames the metal melting and distorting even as the Lancelot leapt sideways to avoid further fire keeping its remaining shield held in front of it.

"Hmm it seems the shields must have breakers that stopped the power surge travelling to the frames core. No matter. He has to brace himself when I use the heavier weapons. Kami prep to fire missiles in encirclement mode when I pin him again."

"Now white knightmare you will". A dull roar was the only warning as twenty VTOL transports flying at maximum speed just above the treetops soared right over them.

It was crazy the transports didn't even slow down. Then the Gloucesters of Cornelias royal guard dropped from them without their slash harkens. Lances extended before them as they fell like a hail of arrows.

"For Corneliaaaaa" one of them smashed into the cliff face. Lelouch managed to shoot one and side boosted away from a second while the third rammed his lance straight into the Raiden cannon. The weapon discharged in the moment of destruction and the explosion of the doomed Gloucester rocked the Strife backwards. While he recovered two of them moved up alongside Viceroy Cornelia, grabbed her knightmare and accelerated away. While the rest struggled to their feet and opened fire with their rifles all at once.

Zero raised his weapon towards Cornelia but with them moving so fast all he could do was kill her. He needed her alive. He opened a comline even as rifle fire pinged off the Strife's hull and the Black knights took cover.

"Ohgi what's your status?"

"We're okay but the Guren's claw is damaged we won't using that for a while.

_Well Luthur we've found the rest of her royal guard. She deliberately kept them in reserve as a trump card._

"Lord Zero we have received reports of two separate bomber groups approaching from the south east and the north. Numbers cannot be confirmed. A second ranger force has destroyed the jamming tower near you. Archer 1 is mostly intact but two of the widowers are disabled and they've painted his location using coloured smoke bombs."

_Damn it_ "All forces disengage. Commence retreat."

"What."

_She's right there damn it right now I could_. But no the calculus of war left no doubt. His entire strategy even the weapons loadout of the Strife had been about avoiding a prolonged conflict. With his AA support diminished, what remained would have to be devoted to protecting the retreat. Continuing the fight here could see them fall to increasing numbers. Even if Cornelia had no more VTOL support left the regaining of even partial communications with the second tower down would allow the survivors to concentrate on him if he took Cornelia now. And there were still two ranger units operating out there. He could destroy them all but it would take too much time and he needed Cornelia alive.

The Lady Kami spoke with a targeting lens held above her eye.

"I have a shot I can kill her before they escape."

"No she will live, for now at least."

He couldn't afford to fight them and they couldn't afford to pursue him as long as he left Cornelia behind. Cursing under his breath he opened the communicator for a general transmission which the raven drones would relay all across the battlefield.

"This is becoming a battle of attrition. All Knights disengage from enemy ground forces. Plan seven. Get the apocalypse to head to the rendezvous. Tamaki move support forces to the Archer teams until extraction. All Archer teams redirect your widowers from VTOL suppression to area defence against the rangers so the Riflemen mechs can focus on the bombers. Archer team 1 must relocate to point 28-7."

The thrusters burned to life and he leapt away "Fall back now."

The Black knights scattered the Ronins firing smoke grenades to cover their retreat as the Strife headed off in another direction.

As Suzaku lowered his shield he heard the faint groaning of stressed metal from the Lancelot's joints then his vidcom opened up showing the angered visage of Cornelia.

"Kururugi."

"Yes you highness."

"My frame is crippled get after Zero now." The expression on Cornelia's face resembled someone barely holding back a scream of rage. That or constipation.

"Yes Viceroy."

As he sped away Cornelia received another message. "Princess Cornelia this is colonel Rook enemy jamming in your area is now disabled."

"Well done colonel status of enemy AA?"

"Still two more we haven't hit and they're ready for us now we had to use demolition explosives just to wound one of those giant knightmares of theirs."

"Very well colonel launch the signal flares for a general retreat and then disengage. But I will be reviewing any information you've recorded later." Cornelia hesitated for a moment. "What of Euphemia?"

"Yes Viceroy. I've confirmed that Sub Viceroy Euphemia is still alive but I'm afraid the G-1 Base has been crippled."

Cornelia's face went tense at the realisation of how close the enemy must have gotten for that to have happened.

"Viceroy we're retreating?" even damaged as they were, Cornelia's guard could scarcely believe it.

"I won't waste any more of my men. We have to face facts we've been utterly defeated."

Still Cornelia's mind was racing _He had a shot why wouldn't he take it? Me dead would still be a major victory for him._

The Devil the Lady and the Knight

The Strife grav skated backwards up the hillside. Thrusters burning and dust billowing up from below its feet. Shots from its heavy rifle smashed into the hillside as the Lancelot pursued.

"Persistent isn't he?" Lady Kami was programming the Strife's remaining missiles to hit the enemy from multiple directions.

Even as they fought Lelouch's strategic mind noticed patterns in his enemies fighting style. "Hmm a shot fired at his head causes him to manouver that way." Another shot saw the enemy bounding to the left.

"Fire missiles." The pods opened and a flurry of short range missiles sped towards the knightmare. The Lancelot raised its shield and leapt upwards twisting in the air. It drew the VARIS and blew away half of the incoming missiles before raising his remaining shield to block the others. Then shots from both the Strife's remaining guns hit the shield. The Lancelot was flung madly through the air tumbling head over heels by the kinetic force of the weapon. The Strife's guns tracked it and Lelouch pulled the trigger

As the Lancelot spun it fired two slash harkens into the ground rapidly altering its direction and dodging the Strife's fire. Then as it fell it retracted them and fired again this time they went right past the Strife's head and pulled the Lancelot behind them. The white knightmare got in between the extended arms of his enemy and rammed the MVS point first clear through the optical sensor band of the Strife's head. Then the frame somersaulted over ripping through the giant metal wedge and landing behind the maimed Nobuseri.

"I have you" Suzaku yelled as he turned around and charged in close to ram his blade into his blinded enemies torso but suddenly the mech engaged its boosters and skated sideways. Its empty hand stretched out and caught the Lancelots leg in an iron grip while the Strifes feet shifted to claws and dug into the ground. Then Suzaku experienced vertigo as the Strife yanked the Lancelot backwards before flinging it over its shoulder slamming it down into the ground again and again. Then he swung it around and around the Strife's head. Before hanging the abused and battered knightmare upside down shaking it like a ragdoll while rechambering the Strife's sword rifle.

"Idiot, to think that all my sensors were in the head." The metal hand dug into the metal of the Lancelots leg holding it still while crushing the limb. "Die." The Lancelot gripped its MVS and rammed it into the exposed muscle at the join of the hand sawing through the cable. Lelouch raised up the rifle so its end would be level with the cockpit block. Servos whined and synthetic muscles contracted. It was a terrible moment in time. Everything hanging on who was faster. The swordsman or the gunman. There was no way of knowing who would get there first. And later neither man would ever know as it became one of those incredible uncertainties that accompany the chaotic maelstrom of war. Because then three high powered AP rounds blasted the Strife's hand right off dropping the Lancelot on its head.

A haughty voice echoed across the battlefield. "Zero, now I can settle two debts with one shot"

"Arggh that voice … Jeremiah?" Standing to the side six harrier mechs levelled their heavy armour piercing rifles and fired. Kami engaged the shoulder mounted cannon and destroyed one before it could dodge even as Zero brought up his rifle. He engaged a sideways rocket boost and leapt firing his remaining rifle at Viletta Nu's harrier. His aim was off centre so he destroyed the arm instead of the whole knightmare. An alarm registered excess weight on one leg creating a drag. Lelouch looked down at the mechs feet. And the vid screens showed him the Lancelot. Clinging to the Strife even as booster rockets melted away its outer plating. The V.A.R.I.S rifle had been jammed into the inside of the Strife's right thigh. "You can't be seri ..." It fired.

Suzaku had set the weapon to anti material level 4 the same setting he'd used against the Kawaguchi hotel. But there was no time for the energy to reach a safe distance from the barrel. The gun destroyed itself even as it blew away a whole section of the Strifes leg in a blastfront of green energy that tore and warped the mech's armour plating. The Lancelots forearm was destroyed. But the Strifes graceful leap became an embarrassing tumble as it hit the ground on its side scraping through the dust. Lelouch pulled on his control gauntlets as the Strife hauled itself up favouring its barely stable leg.

"Shunt grav suspension to maximum and."

"We're out of time." A hail of armour piercing rounds hammered into the side of the strife the main rifle received three shots. The left leg several more. The empty missile pods were destroyed. The shoulder cannon snapped in half and a well placed round tore through the exposed muscle of the damaged leg. Most of the enemy rounds hadn't immediately penetrated but there were clear dents and the Strife knelt as the much abused leg finally broke off at the knee.

Thrusters began to burn to life again in order to jump away but the Harriers kept firing.

"What does it take to kill this thing?"

Inside the Strife Lelouch recalled a piece of advice his brother had given him while Luthur lay on a bed with a gaping hole where his eye had been.

_When there is no hope, when all that can be achieved is a few mere seconds of breath that is when the fight should be at its keenest. Never be one of those who lay down and die when they see the end coming._

Lelouch cursed and spun the Strife's torso around so that it pointed towards the enemy. Panels opened on the sides of the jet shaped chest and small minigun's fired tracer rounds. Towards the cameras of another harrier. The knightmare stumbled back blinded but the others concentrated their fire. The guns were destroyed then the repeated shots wore down the Nobuseri's armour and penetrated through the right side below the shoulder.

Clear through one of the two Surtur reactors that powered the warmachine. Fortunately Red Mercury was a substance far less easy to explode than 'normal' liquid sakuradite. But the round tore through the spinning capacitor rings and high speed shrapnel blasted back out of the entry wound in the Strife's metal plate. The right arm of the strife hung loosely. The Strife slumped like a dead man as a glowing red liquid began to pour like blood out of the horrible rent in its metal body. It smoked as it fell to the ground and began eating through the earth. Then the Lancelot fired its slash harkens into the open holes in the Strife's torso and pulled. Like a tree the mech fell forwards its extended torso section sinking into the ground tip first. Its remaining arm reached forwards to steady itself.

Inside the mech the cockpit was bathed in red emergency lighting. While Lady Kami read off the damage.

"Surtur reactor 1 destroyed Reactor 2 still running at 50 percent power. The emergency reserve battery is intact. They've stopped firing."

Lelouch rested the palm of his armoured hand against his visor and sighed. "Prideful fool that I am, I could have just shunted the thrusters to maximum and left him in the dust."

"I wasn't stopping you. I wanted to kill him too. He is very annoying. So do we wait for them to cut us out?"

"Like a crab being picked from its shell? No. Activate the emergency signal I'm going out there."

There was an extremely awkward pause. Then she spoke. "If you're planning to die tell me who you are."

"I am my choices Lady Kami. I choose not to die today. The reaper will come we just need to give him a few more seconds." He hit a button and with a faint creak the cockpit section began to slowly open up. He turned and held out his hand to her. "Coming my Lady?"

"Well since you asked so nicely." Beneath her mask she smiled.

The destroyed head of the Strife slid forwards with a dull grind. The harriers readied their weapons but nothing else happened. A metal hatchway opened and a shaft with ladder rungs was revealed. Climbing out if it was Zero in his powered armour followed by the Lady Kami. They placed their feet in the grass of the hill and stood together facing the Lancelot as it limped towards them. The white knightmare had half of its front charred black. Their barely seemed a section of it that wasn't crumpled, scarred and dented. One arm ended in a ruined stump while the other with its melted remnant of an arm shield held the MVS out its ruby tip level with Zero's head.

Inside the cockpit Suzaku was breathing heavily. He'd banged his head against the side of his cockpit in the fighting and a thin line of blood was running down over one eye.

_Zero and Kami I owe you for saving me I know that. I know that a lot of Elevens are supporting you from behind the scenes but your methods_. Suzaku's thoughts went to the mutilated bodies he'd seen and the landslide crashing into the town below. He gritted his teeth _Are very wrong._ He held the sword extended even as the harriers moved in closer.

"No you will not touch them." walking across the field was a woman with flowing green hair wearing an unbound straight jacket.

_What the girl from Shinjuku? _

**Authors note**

Derain: Oh lord that was exhausting now to sleep for a while. Zzzzzzzzzzz (Derain wearing a lab coat slumps forward onto a workbench while robots place a warm blanket over him.)

Euphemia: Aw look at the evil genius sleeping.

Derain: Death rays zzzzzzz unstoppable pandas. Zzzzzzz cheesecake yummmmm zzzzzzzz

Lelouch: What no fair he's left it at such a cliffhanger. Wake up!

Luthur: Well looks like someone else has to do the authors notes.

Milly: That's right it's me.

Lelouch: Yes it's … what? Milly how did you get in here? You're not even part of this episode.

Milly: Yes but only I can do the evil laugh good enough for Derain's dark triumphs mwahahahahahahah. Especially since this was such a twist, a battle between Suzaku and Lelouch and now no one will ever be certain who would have won. Suffer the pain of uncertainty suffer hahahah.

Kallen: Milly is now in charge of the Authors notes? How did you convince Derain to make you his backup?

Milly: Hehehehe. A lady never tells. Or at least you desperately hope she doesn't right Lelouch?

Lelouch: Uhm yeah.

Kallen: We're doomed.

Luther: But why have you dyed your hair orange, what's with the round glasses and why are you wearing a lab coat?

Milly: Hey you've got to look the part. Now we see the inevitable results of escalation. Cornelia brought more troops and used them differently. Because after the other stuff Lelouch pulled she was waiting for something bad to happen. One other thing Nobuseri have been conclusively demonstrated to not be invincible but taking them down is very, very hard.

Lelouch: Not hard enough it seems.

Milly: Oh you needed to be beaten up completely at least once. Both you and Suzaku wrestle with your pride except in his case it is … (Pulls out a psychiatrist report written by Derain Von Harken) An almost pathological inability to admit personal fault or error. In your case it's a tendency to get too sure of yourself especially when you're winning. You at least recognise that you have a problem with it which is the first step.

Lady Kami: On the subject of Suzaku where is he anyway?

Milly: I'm glad you asked he's about a kilometre away on the weapons testing grounds. Minions activate the really big observation screen. Mwahahahah. (Rivalz and Mina pull down a really large switch.)

Luthur: Good grief it covers the entire wall!

Kallen: Well there's the apocalypse tank and Sohni's power armour troopers. What are they doing to Suzaku?

Milly: They are loading him into the cannon for the game.

Kallen: The game?

Milly: Yes, the tennis game between Brannoth and the tank.

Lady Kami: What he'll surely be killed

Milly: No for he will be protected by SCIENCE! Activate the field of invincibility. ZAPPP Besides no one ever dies in the authors notes however much they might want to. By the way he can't die but he'll still feel pain.

BRANNOTH (appears in a flash of lightning next to the cannon barrel) : Greetings Suckzaku or should I say TENNIS BALL!.

Suzaku: Why are you doing this!

BRANNOTH: WHAT? ARE YOU SAYING MY METHODS ARE VERY WRONG?

Suzaku: Oh

BRANNOTH: I'm transporting myself a hundred kilometres that way fire when I give the signal, fire. (He vanishes in a blast of thunder. In the distance another flash of lightning appears)

WAR: Signal received Tamaki prepare to fire

Tamaki: Weapons charged ready to fire.

WAR: SERVE 1 FIRE!

KRAKABOOM

Suzaku: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH (Suzaku travels a hundred kilometres through the air then he reaches BRANNOTH

BRANNOTH: RETURNING SERVE (Brannoth hits him back the other way.)

(Milly and others watch as Suzaku is bounced back and forth by Brannoths hammer and the Apocalypse's cannon)

Luthur: How long could this go on?

Milly: Oh this will be a long game. Popcorn anyone?


End file.
